Genesis 43:3-10 ▼

3 But Judah (praised) replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You⁺ will not see my face 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 told us, ‘You⁺ will not see my face again unless your⁺ brother is with you⁺.’”

6 “Why did you⁺ bring this trouble upon me?” Israel (he wrestles with God) asked. “Why did you⁺ tell the man you⁺ had another brother?”

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

8 And Judah (praised) said to his father Israel (he wrestles with God), “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.

9 I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.

10 If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”