Genesis 43:1-8 ▼

1 Now the famine in the land was severe.

2 When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”

3 But Judah said to him, “The man specifically warned us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’

4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.

5 But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’ ”

6 “Why have you caused me so much trouble? ” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man that you had another brother? ”

7 They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother? ’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’? ”

8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our dependents.