New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Now the famine was severe in the land.

1Now the famine in the land was severe.

2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”

2When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little food."

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

3But Judah said to him, "The man specifically warned us: 'You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.'

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

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

5But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, 'You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.'"

6And Israel said, “Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”

6"Why have you caused me so much trouble?" Israel asked. "Why did you tell the man that you had another brother?"

7But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

7They answered, "The man kept asking about us and our family: 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, 'Bring your brother here'?"

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

8Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die--neither we, nor you, nor our dependents.

9I myself will be surety for him; 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.

9I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.

10For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”

10If we had not delayed, we could have come back twice by now."

11And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

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 take them down to the man as a gift--a little balsam and a little honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds.

12Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.

12Take twice as much silver with you. Return the silver that was returned to you in the top of your bags. Perhaps it was a mistake.

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

13Take your brother also, and go back at once to the man.

14And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”

14May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived."

15So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph.

15The men took this gift, double the amount of silver, and Benjamin. They immediately 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 home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.”

16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his steward, "Take the men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they will eat with me at noon."

17Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

17The man did as Joseph had said and brought them to Joseph's house.

18Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”

18But the men were afraid because they were taken to Joseph's house. They said, "We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time. They intend to overpower us, seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys."

19When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house,

19So they approached Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the doorway of the house.

20and said, “O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food;

20They said, "My lord, we really did come down here the first time only to buy food.

21but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand.

21When we came to the place where we lodged for the night and opened our bags of grain, each one's silver was at the top of his bag! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.

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

22We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in the bags."

23But he said, “Peace be with you, 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.

23Then the steward said, "May you be well. Don't be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags. I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.

24The steward brought the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and got feed for their donkeys.

25Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.

25Since the men had heard that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph's arrival at noon.

26And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth.

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

27Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

27He asked if they were well, and he said, "How is your elderly father that you told me about? Is he still alive?"

28And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.

28They answered, "Your servant our father is well. He is still alive." And they knelt low and paid homage to him.

29Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”

29When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?" Then he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son."

30Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there.

30Joseph hurried out because he was overcome with emotion for his brother, and he was about to weep. He went into an inner room and wept there.

31Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”

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

32So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

32They served him by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is detestable to them.

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

33They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment.

34Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

34Portions were served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin's portion was five times larger than any of theirs. They drank and became drunk with Joseph.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.