Genesis 43
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New International VersionNew American Standard Bible 1995
1Now the famine was still severe in the land.1Now the famine was severe in the land.
2So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little more food."2So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food."
3But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'3Judah spoke to him, however, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.'
4If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you.4"If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.
5But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'"5"But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"
6Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?"6Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had another brother?"
7They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. 'Is your father still living?' he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?"7But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down '?"
8Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.8Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones.
9I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.9"I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.
10As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice."10"For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice."
11Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift--a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.11Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.
12Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.12"Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.
13Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.13"Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man;
14And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."14and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
15So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph.15So the men took this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon."16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, "Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon."
17The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph's house.17So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph's house.
18Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys."18Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, "It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys."
19So they went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.19So they came near to Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,
20"We beg your pardon, our lord," they said, "we came down here the first time to buy food.20and said, "Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food,
21But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver--the exact weight--in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us.21and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand.
22We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in our sacks."22"We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks."
23"It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them.23He said, "Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24The steward took the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys.24Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.
25They prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.25So they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.
26When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground.26When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him.
27He asked them how they were, and then he said, "How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?"27Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"
28They replied, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.28They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." They bowed down in homage.
29As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son."29As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son."
30Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.30Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there.
31After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food."31Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, "Serve the meal."
32They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians.32So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians.
33The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment.33Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
34When portions were served to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's. So they feasted and drank freely with him.34He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
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Genesis 42
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