1 Now the famine was severe in the land.

And the famine was sore in the land.

2 When they had finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy a little more food for us.”

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’

And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee 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.’

But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

6 Israel said, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man that you had another brother?”

And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

7 They replied, “The man kept asking us about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How could we have known he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”

And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will get up and go, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.

And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

9 I will be a guarantee for him; you can hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.

I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

10 If we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice by now.”

For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

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 bags and carry them as a gift to the man—a little balm, a little honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

12 Take double the silver with you, and also return the silver that was put back into your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.

And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

13 Take your brother also, and get up and return to the man.

Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

15 So the men took the gifts, double the amount of silver, and Benjamin. They got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal, and prepare a meal, for they will eat with me at noon."

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

17 The steward did as Joseph said and brought the men to Joseph's house.

And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

18 But the men were afraid when they were taken to Joseph's house. They said, "We were brought here because of the silver that was returned to our sacks the first time. He plans to trap us, attack us, take us as slaves, and seize our donkeys."

And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

19 So they approached Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance of the house.

And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

20 They said, "Please, my lord, we came down here before to buy food.

And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

21 But when we reached our lodging place and opened our sacks, there was each man's silver in the mouth of his sack, the exact weight. So we have brought it back with us.

And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in our sacks."

And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

23 He said, "Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

24 The steward brought the men into Joseph's house, gave them water, and they washed their feet. He also provided fodder for their donkeys.

And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

25 They prepared their gift for Joseph's arrival at noon because they had heard that they were going to eat there.

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26 When Joseph came home, they presented him the gift they had brought with them and bowed to the ground before him.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

27 He greeted them and asked, "How is your father, the old man you told me about? Is he still alive?"

And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

28 They replied, "Your servant our father is well. He is still alive." And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.

And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

29 Looking up, Joseph saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" Then he said, "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 younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

30 Joseph was deeply moved at the sight of his brother and hurried out to find a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.

And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

31 After washing his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food."

And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

32 They served Joseph separately, the brothers separately, and the Egyptians who ate with him separately, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that was detestable to them.

And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

33 The men were seated before him in order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest, and they looked at each other in astonishment.

And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.

34 Joseph sent portions from his table to them, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.