43:1 And the famine [was] severe in the land.
43:2 And it came to pass, when they had consumed the corn which
they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, Go
again, buy us a little food.
43:3 And Judah spoke to him, saying, The man did solemnly
protest to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your
brother [be] with you.
43:4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and
buy thee food:
43:5 But if thou wilt not send [him], we will not go down, for
the man said to us, Ye shall not see my face, except your
brother [be] with you.
43:6 And Israel said, Why dealt ye [so] ill with me, [as] to
tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
43:7 And they said, The man asked us strictly concerning our
state, and 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?
43:8 And 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 thou, [and] also our little ones.
43:9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require
him: if I bring him not to thee, and set him before thee, then
let me bear the blame for ever:
43:10 For except we had delayed, surely now we had returned this
second time.
43:11 And their father Israel said to them, If [it must be] so
now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your
vessels, and carry to the man a present, a little balm, and a
little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
43:12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was
returned in the mouth of your sacks, carry [it] again in your
hand; it may be it [was] an oversight:
43:13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man:
43:14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he
may send away your other brother, and Benjamin: If I be
bereaved, I am bereaved.
43:15 And the men took that present, and they took double money
in their hand, and Benjamin; and arose, and went down to Egypt,
and stood before Joseph.
43:16 And 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.
43:17 And the man did as Joseph commanded: and the man brought
the men into Joseph's house.
43:18 And 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 bond-men, and our asses.
43:19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and
they communed with him at the door of the house,
43:20 And said, O sir, we came down indeed at the first time to
buy food:
43:21 And 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.
43:22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy
food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
43:23 And 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 to them.
43:24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave
[them] water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their
asses provender.
43:25 And they made ready the present against Joseph should come
at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
43:26 And 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.
43:27 And he asked them of [their] welfare, and said, [Is] your
father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? [Is] he yet alive?
43:28 And they answered, Thy servant, our father, [is] in good
health, he [is] yet alive: and they bowed their heads and made
obeisance.
43:29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin,
his mother's son, and said, [Is] this your younger brother, of
whom ye spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to thee, my
son.
43:30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels yearned towards his
brother: and he sought [where] to weep; and he entered into
[his] chamber, and wept there.
43:31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained
himself, and said, Set on bread.
43:32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by
themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him, by
themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the
Hebrews; for that [is] an abomination to the Egyptians.
43:33 And they sat before him, the first-born according to his
birth-right, and the youngest according to his youth: and the
men wondered one at another.
43:34 And he took [and sent] messes to 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.
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