Genesis 43

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Now the famine in the land grew more severe.	1 And the famine was sore in the land.
2 So when they had used up all the rations they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and procure us a little more food."	2 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 replied: "The man strictly warned us, 'You shall not appear in my presence unless your brother is with you.'	3 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 are willing to let our brother go with us, we will go down to procure food for you.	4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
5 But if you are not willing, we will not go down, because the man told us, 'You shall not appear in my presence unless your brother is with you.'"	5 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 demanded, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man that you had another brother?"	6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
7 They answered: "The man kept asking about ourselves and our family: 'Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?' We had to answer his questions. How could we know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?"	7 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 urged his father Israel: "Let the boy go with me, that we may be off and on our way if you and we and our children are to keep from starving to death.	8 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 myself will stand surety for him. You can hold me responsible for him. If I fail to bring him back, to set him in your presence, you can hold it against me forever.	9 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 Had we not dilly-dallied, we could have been there and back twice by now!"	10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
11 Their father Israel then told them: "If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the land's best products in your baggage and take them down to the man as gifts: some balm and honey, gum and resin, and pistachios and almonds.	11 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 Also take extra money along, for you must return the amount that was put back in the mouths of your bags; it may have been a mistake.	12 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, too, and be off on your way back to the man.	13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14 May God Almighty dispose the man to be merciful toward you, so that he may let your other brother go, as well as Benjamin. As for me, if I am to suffer bereavement, I shall suffer it."	14 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 got the gifts, took double the amount of money with them, and, accompanied by Benjamin, were off on their way down to Egypt to present themselves to Joseph.	15 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 told his head steward, "Take these men into the house, and have an animal slaughtered and prepared, for they are to dine with me at noon."	16 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 Doing as Joseph had ordered, the steward conducted the men to Joseph's house.	17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
18 But on being led to his house, they became apprehensive. "It must be," they thought, "on account of the money put back in our bags the first time, that we are taken inside; they want to use it as a pretext to attack us and take our donkeys and seize us as slaves."	18 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 went up to Joseph's head steward and talked to him at the entrance of the house.	19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
20 "If you please, sir," they said, "we came down here once before to procure food.	20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 But when we arrived at a night's encampment and opened our bags, there was each man's money in the mouth of his bag--our money in the full amount! We have now brought it back.	21 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 brought other money to procure food with. We do not know who put the first money in our bags."	22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
23 "Be at ease," he replied; "you have no need to fear. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasures in your bags for you. As for your money, I received it." With that, he led Simeon out to them.	23 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 then brought the men inside Joseph's house. He gave them water to bathe their feet, and got fodder for their donkeys.	24 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 Then they set out their gifts to await Joseph's arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to dine there.	25 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 with the gifts they had brought inside, while they bowed down before him to the ground.	26 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 After inquiring how they were, he asked them, "And how is your aged father, of whom you spoke? Is he still in good health?"	27 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 "Your servant our father is thriving and still in good health," they said, as they bowed respectfully.	28 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 When Joseph's eye fell on his full brother Benjamin, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told me?" Then he said to him, "May God be gracious to you, my boy!"	29 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 With that, Joseph had to hurry out, for he was so overcome with affection for his brother that he was on the verge of tears. He went into a private room and wept there.	30 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 reappeared and, now in control of himself, gave the order, "Serve the meal."	31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32 It was served separately to him, to the brothers, and to the Egyptians who partook of his board. (Egyptians may not eat with Hebrews; that is abhorrent to them.)	32 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 When they were seated by his directions according to their age, from the oldest to the youngest, they looked at one another in amazement;	33 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 and as portions were brought to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as large as anyone else's. So they drank freely and made merry with him.	34 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.