‏ Genesis 43

CHAPTER 43

Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt

1But the famine grew in strength upon the land. 2And it came to pass when they completed eating up the grain which they brought from Egypt, that [²said ³to them   ¹their father], In again going, you buy us a small amount  of foods! 3[³said ¹And ⁴to him ²Judah], saying, [³bore witness ⁴by testifying ⁵to us ¹The ²man], the master of the land, saying, You shall not see   my face if [⁴should not   ³brother ¹your   ²younger ⁶with ⁷you ⁵come]. 4If   then, you send   our brother with us, we will go down, and we will buy foods for you. 5But if you do not send   our brother with us, we will not go, for the man said to us, saying, You shall not see my   face if [⁴should not   ³brother ¹your   ²younger ⁶with ⁷you ⁵be]. 6[³said ¹And ²Israel], Why did you do evil to me announcing to the man that there is to you a brother? 7  And they said, In asking, [³asked ⁴of us ¹the ²man] and   our family, saying, Does [²still   ¹our father] live, and if there is to us a brother. And we reported to him according to   this questioning. We did not know that he would say to us, You bring   your brother! 8[³said ¹And ²Judah] to Israel   his father, You send the lad with me, and rising up let us go, that we may live and not die, and we and you and   our belongings. 9I will look out for him. [³from out of ⁴my hand ¹You seek ²him]. If I do not lead him to you, and set him before you, I will be sinning against you all the days. 10[²if ⁴not ¹For ³we slowed], already even we should have returned twice. 11[⁴said ¹And ⁵to them ²Israel   ³their father], If so it is, this you do! You take from the fruits of the earth in   your containers, and bring to the man gifts   of balm, and   of honey, and incense, and balsam, and turpentine, and walnuts! 12And   [³silver ²double ¹you take] in   your hands. And the silver   being returned in   your bags, return it with you, perhaps it is by ignorance! 13And   [²your brother ¹you take], and rising go down to the man! 14  And my God give to you favor before the man, even to send   your brother, the other one, and   Benjamin. [³I indeed ¹For ²as much as] have been made childless, I have been made childless. 15[⁴receiving ¹And ²the ³men]   these gifts, and the [²silver ¹double] they took in   their hands, and   Benjamin, and rising up they went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16[³saw ¹And ²Joseph] them, and   Benjamin   his brother, the one born of the same mother. And he said to the one  over   his house, Bring the men into the house, and slay the things offered for sacrifices, and prepare! [⁵with ⁶me ¹for ⁴will eat ²the ³men] bread loaves   at midday. 17[⁴did ¹And ²the ³man] as Joseph said. And he brought the men into the house of Joseph. 18[⁴seeing ¹And ²the ³men] that they were brought into the house of Joseph, said, On account of the silver   returned in   our bags in the beginning we are brought in --   to extort us, and to place charge upon us,   to take us as servants, and   our donkeys. 19And coming forward to the man, the one  over the house   of Joseph, they spoke to him in the vestibule of the house, 20saying, We beseech you, O master, we went down in the beginning to buy foods, 21and it happened when we came to   rest up, and we opened   our bags, that thus, the silver was in each   of his bag.   [³our silver ⁴with ⁵the weight ¹We returned ²now] in   our hands, 22and [³silver ²other ¹we brought] with ourselves to buy foods, we do not know who put the silver in   our bags. 23And he said to them, Kindness be to you, do not fear.   Your God, and the God   of your fathers gave to you treasures in   your bags, and   your silver in approving I receive. And he led out to them   Simeon. 24And he brought water to wash   their feet. And he gave fodder to  their donkeys. 25And they prepared the gifts until   [²came ³at ¹Joseph] midday. For they heard that [³there ¹he was about ²to dine]. 26[³entered ¹And ²Joseph] into the house, and they brought to him the gifts which they had in   their hands, into the house. And they did obeisance to him upon their face upon the ground. 27And he asked them, How have you been? And he said to them, Is [²in health   ¹your father], the old man whom you spoke of? Still he lives? 28  And they said, He is in health --   your servant   our father, still lives. And he said, Blessed be   that man   by God. And bowing they did obeisance to him. 29And looking up with   his eyes, he saw Benjamin   his brother, the one born of the same mother. And he said, This is    your brother the younger whom you spoke to me of bringing? And he said,   God show mercy to you child. 30[³was disturbed ¹And ²Joseph]. [³contracted ¹For   ²his innards] over   his brother, and he was seeking to weep, and he entered into the storeroom to weep there. 31And he washed   his face, and coming forth he controlled himself, and said, You place the bread loaves. 32And they placed a setting  to him alone, and to them by themselves, and to the Egyptians   dining with them by themselves, [⁴were not ¹for ⁵able ²the ³Egyptians] to eat [²with ³the ⁴Hebrews ¹bread loaves], [³an abomination ¹for ²it is] to the Egyptians. 33And he seated before himself the first-born according to   their seniority, and the younger according to  his youth. [⁵were looking amazed ¹And ²the ³men ⁴each] at   his brother. 34And they lifted away the portions from him to them. [⁵was magnified ¹And ²the ³portion ⁴of Benjamin] over the portions of all -- five-fold over   those. And they drank and became intoxicated with him.