Genesis 43

Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt with Benjamin

43The famine in Canaan got worse,H7458H3515H7762and when the family of Jacob had eaten all the grain which had been brought from Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, "Go back and buy a little food for us."H3615H398H7668H935H4714H1H559H7725H7666H4592H4003Judah said to him, "The man sternly warned us that we would not be admitted to his presence unless we had our brother with us.H3063H559H559H376H5749H5749H559H7200H6440H1115H2514If you are willing to send our brother with us, we will go and buy food for you.H3426H7971H251H3381H7666H4005If you are not willing, we will not go, because the man told us we would not be admitted to his presence unless our brother was with us."H7971H3381H376H559H7200H6440H2516Jacob said, "Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the man that you had another brother?"H3478H559H7489H5046H376H2517They answered, "The man kept asking about us and our family, 'Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?' We had to answer his questions. How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother with us?"H559H376H7592H7592H4138H559H1H2416H3426H251H5046H5921H6310H1697H3045H3045H559H3381H251H33818Judah said to his father, "Send the boy with me, and we will leave at once. Then none of us will starve to death.H3063H559H3478H1H7971H5288H6965H3212H2421H4191H29459I will pledge my own life, and you can hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you safe and sound, I will always bear the blame.H6148H3027H1245H518H935H518H3322H6440H2398H311710If we had not waited so long, we could have been there and back twice by now."H3884H4102H7725H647111Their father said to them, "If that is how it has to be, then take the best products of the land in your packs as a present for the governor: a little resin, a little honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds.H1H3478H559H645H6213H3947H2173H776H3627H3381H376H4503H4592H6875H4592H1706H5219H3910H992H824712Take with you also twice as much money, because you must take back the money that was returned in the top of your sacks. Maybe it was a mistake.H3947H4932H3701H3027H3701H7725H6310H572H7725H3027H487013Take your brother and return at once.H3947H251H6965H7725H37614May Almighty God cause the man to have pity on you, so that he will give Benjamin and your other brother back to you. As for me, if I must lose my children, I must lose them."H410H7706H5414H7356H6440H376H7971H312H251H1144H834H7921H792115So the brothers took the gifts and twice as much money, and set out for Egypt with Benjamin. There they presented themselves to Joseph.H582H3947H2063H4503H3947H4932H3701H3027H1144H6965H3381H4714H5975H6440H313016When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant in charge of his house, "Take these men to my house. They are going to eat with me at noon, so kill an animal and prepare it."H3130H7200H1144H854H559H1004H935H582H1004H2873H2874H3559H582H398H667217The servant did as he was commanded and took the brothers to Joseph's house.H376H6213H3130H559H376H935H582H3130H100418As they were being brought to the house, they were afraid and thought, "We are being brought here because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time. They will suddenly attack us, take our donkeys, and make us his slaves."H582H3372H935H3130H1004H559H1697H3701H7725H572H8462H935H1556H5307H3947H5650H254319So at the door of the house, they said to the servant in charge,H5066H376H3130H1004H1696H6607H100420"If you please, sir, we came here once before to buy food.H559H994H113H3381H3381H8462H7666H40021When we set up camp on the way home, we opened our sacks, and each man found his money in the top of his sack - every bit of it. We have brought it back to you.H935H4411H6605H572H376H3701H6310H572H3701H4948H7725H302722We have also brought some more money with us to buy more food. We do not know who put our money back in our sacks."H312H3701H3381H3027H7666H400H3045H7760H3701H57223The servant said, "Don't worry. Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the money in your sacks for you. I received your payment." Then he brought Simeon to them.H559H7965H3372H430H430H1H5414H4301H572H935H3701H3318H809524The servant took the brothers into the house. He gave them water so that they could wash their feet, and he fed their donkeys.H376H935H582H3130H1004H5414H4325H7364H7272H5414H2543H455425They got their gifts ready to present to Joseph when he arrived at noon, because they had been told that they were to eat with him.H3559H4503H5704H3130H935H6672H8085H398H389926When Joseph got home, they took the gifts into the house to him and bowed down to the ground before him.H3130H935H1004H935H4503H3027H1004H7812H77627He asked about their health and then said, "You told me about your old father - how is he? Is he still alive and well?"H7592H7965H559H1H7965H2205H559H241628They answered, "Your humble servant, our father, is still alive and well." And they knelt and bowed down before him.H559H5650H1H7965H2416H6915H781229When Joseph saw his brother Benjamin, he said, "So this is your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son."H5375H5869H7200H251H1144H517H1121H559H6996H251H559H559H430H2603H112130Then Joseph left suddenly, because his heart was full of tender feelings for his brother. He was about to break down, so he went to his room and cried.H3130H4116H7356H3648H251H1245H1058H935H2315H105831After he had washed his face, he came out, and controlling himself, he ordered the meal to be served.H7364H6440H3318H662H559H7760H389932Joseph was served at one table and his brothers at another. The Egyptians who were eating there were served separately, because they considered it beneath their dignity to eat with Hebrews.H7760H4713H398H4713H3201H398H3899H5680H8441H471433The brothers had been seated at the table, facing Joseph, in the order of their age from the oldest to the youngest. When they saw how they had been seated, they looked at one another in amazement.H3427H6440H1060H1062H6810H6812H582H8539H376H745334Food was served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin was served five times as much as the rest of them. So they ate and drank with Joseph until they were drunk.H5375H4864H6440H1144H4864H2568H3027H7235H8354H7937