Genesis 43:1-9 ▼

1 Now the famine in the land grew severe.

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

3 But Judah replied: “The man strictly warned us, ‘You shall not see me unless your brother is with you.’

4 If you are willing to let our brother go with us, we will go down to buy food for you.

5 But if you are not willing, we will not go down, because the man told us, ‘You shall not see me unless your brother is with you.’”

6 Israel demanded, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man that you had another brother?”

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

8 Then Judah urged his father Israel: “Let the boy go with me, that we may be off and on our way if you and we and our children are to keep from starving to death.

9 I myself will serve as a guarantee for him. You can hold me responsible for him. If I fail to bring him back and set him before you, I will bear the blame before you forever.