Shared Word Translation
Genesis 43
Jacob Sends Benjamin to Egypt
Now the famine was severe in the land. And when they had finished eating the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.”
But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” They said, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We answered according to these words. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will be surety for him. From my hand you may require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever. For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
Then Israel their father said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags and carry down to the man a gift—a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Take double the silver with you. Carry back with you the silver that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, so that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
The Brothers Return to Egypt
So the men took this gift, and they took double the silver with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, slaughter an animal, and prepare it, for the men are to eat with me at noon.” The man did as Joseph said and brought the men into Joseph’s house.
And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house. They said, “It is because of the silver that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are brought in, so that he may seek an occasion against us and fall upon us and take us as slaves along with our donkeys.” So they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the entrance of the house, saying, “Please, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. And when we came to the lodging place and opened our sacks, behold, each man’s silver was in the mouth of his sack, our silver in full weight. So we have brought it back with us. We have also brought down with us additional silver to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
He said, “Peace to you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet. And he gave their donkeys fodder. So they prepared the gift for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.
Joseph Receives His Brothers
When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the gift that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. And he asked them about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” They said, “Your servant our father is well. He is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and paid homage.
Then he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself, he said, “Serve the meal.”
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 was an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. Portions were taken to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times greater than any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.