Genesis 43

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Now the famine was severe in the land.	1 Now the famine in the land grew more severe.
2 And when they had eaten the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little food."	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."
3 But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'	3 But Judah replied: "The man strictly warned us, 'You shall not appear in my presence unless your brother is with you.'
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food;	4 If you are willing to let our brother go with us, we will go down to procure food for you.
5 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.'"	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.'"
6 Israel said, "Why did you treat me so ill as to tell the man that you had another brother?"	6 Israel demanded, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man that you had another brother?"
7 They replied, "The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you 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'?"	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'?"
8 And Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.	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.
9 I will be surety for him; of 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 for ever;	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.
10 for if we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice."	10 Had we not dilly-dallied, we could have been there and back twice by now!"
11 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 down to the man a present, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.	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.
12 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.	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.
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man;	13 Take your brother, too, and be off on your way back to the man.
14 may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."	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."
15 So the men took the present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.	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.
16 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."	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."
17 The man did as Joseph bade him, and brought the men to Joseph's house.	17 Doing as Joseph had ordered, the steward conducted the men to Joseph's house.
18 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 seek occasion against us and fall upon us, to make slaves of us and seize our asses."	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."
19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house, and spoke with him at the door of the house,	19 So they went up to Joseph's head steward and talked to him at the entrance of the house.
20 and said, "Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food;	20 "If you please, sir," they said, "we came down here once before to procure food.
21 and when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was every man's money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it again with us,	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.
22 and we have brought other money down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks."	22 We have brought other money to procure food with. We do not know who put the first money in our bags."
23 He replied, "Rest assured, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.	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.
24 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 asses provender,	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.
25 they made ready the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.	25 Then they set out their gifts to await Joseph's arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to dine there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which they had with them, and bowed down to him to the ground.	26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, while they bowed down before him to the ground.
27 And he inquired about their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"	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?"
28 They said, "Your servant our father is well, he is still alive." And they bowed their heads and made obeisance.	28 "Your servant our father is thriving and still in good health," they said, as they bowed respectfully.
29 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!"	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!"
30 Then Joseph made haste, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there.	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.
31 Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, "Let food be served."	31 After washing his face, he reappeared and, now in control of himself, gave the order, "Serve the meal."
32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.	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.)
33 And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in amazement.	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;
34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.	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.