Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

1Now the famine was still severe in the land.

1Now the famine was severe in the land.

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

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

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

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

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

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

5But 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.’ ”

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.’”

6“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”

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

7They 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’?”

7They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have 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’?”

8And Judah said to his father Israel, “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.

8And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.

9I 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.

9I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

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

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

11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

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 a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

12Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.

12Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.

13Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.

13Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man.

14May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

14May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

15So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

15So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

16When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”

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.”

17The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.

17The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

18But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

18And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.”

19So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.

19So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house,

20“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.

20and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food.

21But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.

21And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us,

22We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”

22and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

23“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

23He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.

24And when the man 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,

25Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

25they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.

26When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground.

27He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”

27And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

28“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.

28They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.

29When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

29And he lifted up his eyes 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!”

30Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.

30Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there.

31Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”

31Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.”

32They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.

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.

33They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement.

34When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.

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

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.