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The Brothers Return to Egypt
But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan.
But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan.
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt
Now the famine was severe in the land.
Now the famine was severe in the land.
When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.”
But Judah said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
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 send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food.
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.
But if you don’t let Benjamin go, we won’t go either. Remember, the man said, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with 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?”
“The man kept asking us questions about our family,” they replied. “He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”
They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation — and not only we, but you and our little ones.
And 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 personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever.
I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
If we hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.”
If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”
So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts — balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake.
Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.
Then take your brother, and go back to the man.
Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man.
So the men packed Jacob’s gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph.
So the men took this present, and they took double the money 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 manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast.”
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.”
So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace.
The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.
The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”
And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.”
A Feast at Joseph’s Palace
The brothers approached the manager of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace.
So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house,
“Sir,” they said, “we came to Egypt once before to buy food.
and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food.
But as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. Then we discovered that each man’s money — the exact amount paid — was in the top of his sack! Here it is; we have brought it back with us.
And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us,
We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money in our sacks.”
and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
“Relax. Don’t be afraid,” the household manager told them. “Your God, the God of your father, must have put this treasure into your sacks. I know I received your payment.” Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them.
He replied, “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 money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
The manager then led the men into Joseph’s palace. He gave them water to wash their feet and provided food for their donkeys.
And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder,
They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low to the ground before him.
When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground.
After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”
And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
“Yes,” they replied. “Our father, your servant, is alive and well.” And they bowed low again.
They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.
Then Joseph looked at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Joseph asked. “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!”
Then Joseph hurried from the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his private room, where he broke down and wept.
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.
After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, “Bring out the food!”
Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.”
The waiters served Joseph at his own table, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians who ate with Joseph sat at their own table, because Egyptians despise Hebrews and refuse to eat with them.
They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest.
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.
And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him.