Gen 43 | ABEn | STEP | But the famine grew in strength upon the land.

Genesis 43

CHAPTER 43 Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt

1 But the famine grew in strength upon the land. 2 And 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]. 4 If then, you send our brother with us, we will go down, and we will buy foods for you. 5 But 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. 9 I 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! 12 And [³silver ²double ¹you take] in your hands. And the silver being returned in your bags, return it with you, perhaps it is by ignorance! 13 And [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. 19 And coming forward to the man, the one over the house of Joseph, they spoke to him in the vestibule of the house, 20 saying, We beseech you, O master, we went down in the beginning to buy foods, 21 and 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, 22 and [³silver ²other ¹we brought] with ourselves to buy foods, we do not know who put the silver in our bags. 23 And 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. 24 And he brought water to wash their feet. And he gave fodder to their donkeys. 25 And 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. 27 And 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. 29 And 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. 31 And he washed his face, and coming forth he controlled himself, and said, You place the bread loaves. 32 And 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. 33 And 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. 34 And 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.