New Living Translation

King James Bible

1But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan.

1And the famine was sore in the land.

2When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

3But Judah said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’

3And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

4If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food.

4If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

5But if you don’t let Benjamin go, we won’t go either. Remember, the man said, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

5But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

6“Why were you so cruel to me?” Jacob moaned. “Why did you tell him you had another brother?”

6And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

7“The man kept asking us questions about our family,” they replied. “He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”

7And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

8Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and our little ones.

8And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

9I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever.

9I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

10If we hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.”

10For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

11So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts—balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

11And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

12Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake.

12And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

13Then take your brother, and go back to the man.

13Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

14May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it.”

14And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

15So the men packed Jacob’s gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph.

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

16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast.”

16And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

17So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace.

17And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

18The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.” A Feast at Joseph’s Palace

18And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

19The brothers approached the manager of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace.

19And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

20“Sir,” they said, “we came to Egypt once before to buy food.

20And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

21But as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. Then we discovered that each man’s money—the exact amount paid—was in the top of his sack! Here it is; we have brought it back with us.

21And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

22We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money in our sacks.”

22And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

23“Relax. Don’t be afraid,” the household manager told them. “Your God, the God of your father, must have put this treasure into your sacks. I know I received your payment.” Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them.

23And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

24The manager then led the men into Joseph’s palace. He gave them water to wash their feet and provided food for their donkeys.

24And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

25They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

25And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low to the ground before him.

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

27After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”

27And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

28“Yes,” they replied. “Our father, your servant, is alive and well.” And they bowed low again.

28And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

29Then Joseph looked at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Joseph asked. “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 younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

30Then Joseph hurried from the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his private room, where he broke down and wept.

30And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

31After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, “Bring out the food!”

31And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

32The waiters served Joseph at his own table, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians who ate with Joseph sat at their own table, because Egyptians despise Hebrews and refuse to eat with them.

32And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

33Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest.

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

34And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

34And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.