43Now the famine was severe in the land.H7458H3515H776

2And when they had eaten up the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little more food."H3615H398H7668H935H4714H1H559H7725H7666H4592H400

3But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.'H3063H559H559H376H5749H5749H559H7200H6440H1115H251

4If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food;H3426H7971H251H3381H7666H400

5but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'"H7971H3381H376H559H7200H6440H251

6Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?"H3478H559H7489H5046H376H251

7They replied, "The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"H559H376H7592H7592H4138H559H1H2416H3426H251H5046H5921H6310H1697H3045H3045H559H3381H251H3381

8Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me, and let us be on our way, so that we may live and not die—you and we and also our little ones.H3063H559H3478H1H7971H5288H6965H3212H2421H4191H2945

9I myself will be surety for him; you can hold me accountable for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.H6148H3027H1245H518H935H518H3322H6440H2398H3117

10If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice."H3884H4102H7725H6471

11Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry them down as a present to the man—a little balm and a little honey, gum, resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds.H1H3478H559H645H6213H3947H2173H776H3627H3381H376H4503H4592H6875H4592H1706H5219H3910H992H8247

12Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the top of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.H3947H4932H3701H3027H3701H7725H6310H572H7725H3027H4870

13Take your brother also, and be on your way again to the man;H3947H251H6965H7725H376

14may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, so that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."H410H7706H5414H7356H6440H376H7971H312H251H1144H834H7921H7921

15So the men took the present, and they took double the money with them, as well as Benjamin. Then they went on their way down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.H582H3947H2063H4503H3947H4932H3701H3027H1144H6965H3381H4714H5975H6440H3130

16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon."H3130H7200H1144H854H559H1004H935H582H1004H2873H2874H3559H582H398H6672

17The man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph's house.H376H6213H3130H559H376H935H582H3130H1004

18Now the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, "It is because of the money, replaced in our sacks the first time, that we have been brought in, so that he may have an opportunity to fall upon us, to make slaves of us and take our donkeys."H582H3372H935H3130H1004H559H1697H3701H7725H572H8462H935H1556H5307H3947H5650H2543

19So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the entrance to the house.H5066H376H3130H1004H1696H6607H1004

20They said, "Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food;H559H994H113H3381H3381H8462H7666H400

21and when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each one's money in the top of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it back with us.H935H4411H6605H572H376H3701H6310H572H3701H4948H7725H3027

22Moreover we have brought down with us additional money to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks."H312H3701H3381H3027H7666H400H3045H7760H3701H572

23He replied, "Rest assured, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.H559H7965H3372H430H430H1H5414H4301H572H935H3701H3318H8095

24When the steward had brought the men into Joseph's house, and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder,H376H935H582H3130H1004H5414H4325H7364H7272H5414H2543H4554

25they made the present ready for Joseph's coming at noon, for they had heard that they would dine there.H3559H4503H5704H3130H935H6672H8085H398H3899

26When Joseph came home, they brought him the present that they had carried into the house, and bowed to the ground before him.H3130H935H1004H935H4503H3027H1004H7812H776

27He inquired about their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"H7592H7965H559H1H7965H2205H559H2416

28They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And they bowed their heads and did obeisance.H559H5650H1H7965H2416H6915H7812

29Then he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!"H5375H5869H7200H251H1144H517H1121H559H6996H251H559H559H430H2603H1121

30With that, Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep. So he went into a private room and wept there.H3130H4116H7356H3648H251H1245H1058H935H2315H1058

31Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, "Serve the meal."H7364H6440H3318H662H559H7760H3899

32They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.H7760H4713H398H4713H3201H398H3899H5680H8441H4714

33When they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, the men looked at one another in amazement.H3427H6440H1060H1062H6810H6812H582H8539H376H7453

34Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.H5375H4864H6440H1144H4864H2568H3027H7235H8354H7937