Genesis 43

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 But the famine in the country grew worse,	1 Meanwhile, the famine pressed heavily on all the land.
2 and when they had finished eating the supplies which they had brought from Egypt their father said tothem, 'Go back and get us a little food.'	2 And having consumed the provisions that they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Return and buy us a little food.”
3 'But', Judah replied, 'the man expressly warned us, "You wil not be admitted to my presence unlessyour brother is with you."	3 Judah answered: “The man himself declared to us, under the attestation of an oath, saying: ‘You will not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.’
4 If you are ready to send our brother with us, we will go down and get food for you.	4 If therefore you are willing to send him with us, we will travel together, and we will buy necessities for you.
5 But if you are not ready to send him, we will not go down, in view of the man's warning, "You wil notbe admitted to my presence unless your brother is with you." '	5 But if you are not willing, we will not go. For the man, as we have often said, declared to us, saying: ‘You will not see my face without your youngest brother.’ ”
6 Then Israel said, 'Why did you bring this misery on me by tel ing the man you had another brother?'	6 Israel said to them, “You have done this for my misery, in that you revealed to him that you also had another brother.”
7 They replied, 'He kept questioning us about ourselves and our family, asking, "Is your father stillalive?" and, "Have you another brother?" That is why we told him. How could we know he was going to say,"Bring your brother down here"?'	7 But they responded: “The man questioned us in order, concerning our family: whether our father lived, if we had a brother. And we answered him respectively, according to what he demanded. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother with you?’ ”
8 Judah then said to his father Israel, 'Send the boy with me, and let us be off and go, if we are tosurvive and not die, we, you, and our dependants.	8 Likewise, Judah said to his father: “Send the boy with me, so that we may set out and be able to live, lest we and our little ones should die.
9 I wil go surety for him, and you can hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you andproduce him before you, let me bear the blame al my life.	9 I accept the boy; require him at my hand. Unless I lead him back and restore him to you, I will be guilty of a sin against you for all time.
10 Indeed, if we had not wasted so much time we should have been there and back twice by now!'	10 If a delay had not intervened, by now we would have returned here a second time.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, 'If it must be so, then do this: take some of the country's bestproducts in your baggage and take them to the man as a gift: some balsam, some honey, gum tragacanth, resin,pistachio nuts and almonds.	11 Therefore, their father Israel said to them: “If it is necessary to do so, then do what you will. Take, in your vessels, from the best fruits of the land, and carry down gifts to the man: a little resin, and honey, and storax ointment, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.
12 Take double the amount of money with you and return the money put back in the mouths of yoursacks; it may have been a mistake.	12 Also, take with you double the money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done in error.
13 Take your brother, and go back to the man.	13 But also take your brother, and go to the man.
14 May El Shaddai move the man to be kind to you, and al ow you to bring back your other brother andBenjamin. As for me, if I must be bereaved, bereaved I must be.'	14 Then may my Almighty God cause him to be pleased by you. And send your brother, whom he holds, back with you, along with this one, Benjamin. But as for me, without my children, I will be like one who is bereaved.”
15 The men took this gift; they took double the amount of money with them, and Benjamin. They set off,went down to Egypt and presented themselves before Joseph.	15 Therefore, the men took the gifts, and double the money, and Benjamin. And they went down into Egypt, and they stood in the presence of Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them he said to his chamberlain, 'Take these men into the house.Slaughter a beast and prepare it, for these men are to eat with me at midday.'	16 And when he had seen them and Benjamin together, he instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Lead the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast, because they will be eating with me at midday.”
17 The man did as Joseph had ordered, and took the men to Joseph's house.	17 He did what he had been ordered to do, and he brought the men into the house.
18 The men were afraid at being taken to Joseph's house and said, 'We are being taken there becauseof the money replaced in our sacks the first time. They wil set on us; they wil fal on us and make slaves of us,and take our donkeys too.'	18 And there, being terrified, they said one to another: “Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we have been brought in, so that he may unleash a false accusation against us, and by violence subjugate both us and our donkeys into servitude.”
19 So they went up to Joseph's chamberlain and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.	19 For this reason, approaching the steward of the house at his door,
20 'By your leave, sir,' they said, 'we came down once before to get supplies,	20 they said: “We beg you, lord, to hear us. We came down once before to buy food.
21 and when we reached camp and opened our sacks, there was each man's money in the mouth of hissack, to the full. But we have brought it back with us,	21 And having bought it, when we arrived at the inn, we opened our sacks and found the money in the mouths of the sacks, which we now have carried back in the same amount.
22 and we have brought more money with us for the supplies. We do not know who put our money inour sacks.'	22 But we have also brought other silver, so that we may buy those things that are necessary for us. It is not on our conscience who had placed it in our bags.”
23 'Set your minds at ease,' he replied, 'do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father puttreasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.' And he brought Simeon out to them.	23 But he responded: “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you the treasure in your sacks. As for the money that you gave to me, I held it as a test.” And he led Simeon out to them.
24 The man then took the men into Joseph's house. He offered them water to wash their feet, and gavetheir donkeys fodder.	24 And having led them into the house, he brought water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder to their donkeys.
25 They arranged their gift while they waited for Joseph to come at midday, for they had heard theywere to dine there.	25 But they also prepared the gifts, until Joseph entered at midday. For they had heard that they would eat bread there.
26 When Joseph arrived at the house they offered him the gift they had with them, bowing low beforehim.	26 And so Joseph entered his house, and they offered him the gifts, holding them in their hands. And they reverenced prone on the ground.
27 He greeted them pleasantly, asking, 'Is your father wel , the old man you told me of ? Is he stillalive?'	27 But he, gently greeting them again, questioned them, saying: “Is your father, the old man about whom you spoke to me, in good health? Is he still alive?”
28 'Your servant our father is wel ,' they replied, 'he is stil alive,' and they bowed respectful y.	28 And they answered: “Your servant, our father, is safe; he is still alive.” And bowing, they reverenced him.
29 Looking about, he saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son. 'Is this your youngest brother', heasked, 'of whom you told me?' And he added, 'God be good to you, my son.'	29 Then Joseph, lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin, his brother of the same womb, and he said, “Is this your little brother, about whom you spoke to me?” And again, he said, “May God be compassionate to you, my son.”
30 Joseph hurried out; so strong was the affection he felt for his brother that he wanted to cry. He wentinto his room and there he wept.	30 And he hurried out, because his heart had been moved over his brother, and tears gushed out. And going into his chamber, he wept.
31 After washing his face he returned and, controlling himself, gave the order: 'Serve the meal.'	31 And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he composed himself, and he said, “Set out bread.”
32 He was served separately; so were they, and so were the Egyptians who ate in his household, forthe Egyptians could not take food with Hebrews; Egyptians have a horror of doing so.	32 And when it was set out, separately for Joseph, and separately for his brothers, likewise separately for the Egyptians, who ate at the same time, (for it is unlawful for Egyptians to eat with Hebrews, and they consider feasting in this way to be profane)
33 They were placed facing him in order of seniority, from the eldest to the youngest, and the menlooked at one another in amazement.	33 they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his state of life. And they wondered exceedingly,
34 He had portions carried to them from his own dish, the portion for Benjamin being five times largerthan any of the others. And they feasted with him and drank freely.	34 taking the portions that they received from him. And the greater portion went to Benjamin, so much so that it exceeded five parts. And they drank and became inebriated along with him.