Genesis 43:1-9 ▼

1 And the famine is severe in the land;

2 and it cometh to pass, when they have finished eating the corn which they brought from Egypt, that their father saith unto them, 'Turn back, buy for us a little food.'

3 And Judah speaketh unto him, saying, 'The man protesting protested to us, saying, Ye do not see my face without your brother being with you;

4 if thou art sending our brother with us, we go down, and buy for thee food,

5 and if thou art not sending -- we do not go down, for the man said unto us, Ye do not see my face without your brother being with you.'

6 And Israel saith, 'Why did ye evil to me, by declaring to the man that ye had yet a brother?'

7 and they say, 'The man asked diligently concerning us, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? and we declare to him according to the tenor of these things; do we certainly know that he will say, Bring down your brother?'

8 And Judah saith unto Israel his father, 'Send the youth with me, and we arise, and go, and live, and do not die, both we, and thou, and our infants.

9 I -- I am surety for him, from my hand thou dost require him; if I have not brought him in unto thee, and set him before thee -- then I have sinned against thee all the days;