1 AGen 12:10; 26:1; 41:56, 57Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 So 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.” 3 Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “AGen 43:5; 44:23The man solemnly warned 1Lit us, sayingus, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4  “If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 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.’ ” 6 Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly 1Lit to tellby telling the man whether you still had another brother?” 7 But they said, “The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, ‘AGen 42:13; 43:27Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we 1Lit told him according to these wordsanswered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, AGen 42:2that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. 9  “AGen 42:37; 44:32; Philem 18, 19I myself will be surety for him; 1Lit from my hand you may require himyou may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then 2Lit I shall have sinned before you all the dayslet me bear the blame before you forever. 10  “For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”

11 Then 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 1Or vesselsbags, and carry down to the man AGen 32:20; 43:25, 26as a present, a little 2Or masticBGen 37:25; Jer 8:22; Ezek 27:17balm and a little honey, 3Or ladanum spicearomatic gum and 4Or resinous barkmyrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12  “Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand AGen 42:25, 35; 43:21, 22the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. 13  “Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; 14 and may 1Heb El ShaddaiAGen 17:1; 28:3; 35:11God Almighty BPs 106:46grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you CGen 42:24your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, DGen 42:36if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” 15 So the men took AGen 43:11this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his AGen 44:1house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 So the man did as Joseph said, and 1Lit the man broughtbrought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 Now 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 1Lit roll himself upon usseek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.” 19 So they came near to Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, 21 and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, AGen 42:27, 35each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in 1Lit its weightfull. So BGen 43:12, 15we have brought it back in our hand. 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 He said, “1Lit Peace be to youBe at ease, do not be afraid. AGen 42:28Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; 2Lit your money had come to meI had your money.” Then BGen 42:24he brought Simeon out to them. 24 Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and AGen 18:4; 19:2; 24:32gave them water, and they BLuke 7:44; John 13:5; 1 Tim 5:10washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder. 25 So they prepared AGen 43:11, 15the present 1Lit untilfor Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat 2Lit breada meal there.

26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and AGen 37:7, 10bowed to the ground before him. 27 Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “AGen 43:7; 45:3Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” AGen 37:7, 10They bowed down 1Lit and prostrated themselvesin homage. 29 As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this AGen 42:13your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “BNum 6:25; Ps 67:1May God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph hurried out for 1Lit his compassion grew warmA1 Kin 3:26he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and BGen 42:24; 45:2, 14, 15; 46:29wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he AGen 45:1controlled himself and said, “1Lit Set on breadServe the meal.” 32 So 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 1Lit an abominationAGen 46:34; Ex 8:26loathsome to the Egyptians. 33 Now they 1Lit satwere seated before him, AGen 42:7the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34 He took portions to them from 1Lit his facehis own table, AGen 35:24; 45:22but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.