43:1 But the famine prevailed in the land.
43:2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the corn which they
had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again; buy us a
little food.
43:3 And Judah spoke to him, saying, The man, the lord of the country,
positively testified to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your
younger brother be with you.
43:4 If, then, thou send our brother with us, we will go down, and buy thee
food;
43:5 but if thou send not our brother with us, we will not go: for the man
spoke to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your younger brother
be with you.
43:6 And Israel said, Why did ye harm me, inasmuch as ye told the man that
ye had a brother?
43:7 And they said, The man closely questioned us about our family also,
saying, Does your father yet live, and have ye a brother? and we answered
him according to this question: did we know that he would say to us, Bring
your brother?
43:8 And Judah said to his father Israel, Send the boy with me, and we will
arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and our store.
43:9 And I engage for him; at my hand do thou require him; if I bring him
not to thee, and place him before thee, I shall be guilty toward thee for
ever.
43:10 For if we had not tarried, we should now have returned twice.
43:11 And Israel, their father, said to them, If it be so, do this; take of
the fruits of the earth in your vessels, and carry down to the man presents
of gum and honey, and frankincense, and stacte, and turpentine, and walnuts.
43:12 And take double money in your hands, and the money that was returned
in your sacks, carry back with you, lest peradventure it is a mistake.
43:13 And take your brother; and arise, go down to the man.
43:14 And my Elohim give you favour in the sight of the man, and send away your
other brother, and Benjamin, for I accordingly as I have been bereaved, am
bereaved.
43:15 And the men having taken these presents, and the double money, took in
their hands also Benjamin; and they rose up and went down to Egypt, and
stood before Joseph.
43:16 And Joseph saw them and his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother;
and he said to the steward of his household, Bring the men into the house,
and slay beasts and make ready, for the men are to eat bread with me at
noon.
43:17 And the man did as Joseph said; and he brought the men into the house
of Joseph.
43:18 And the men, when they perceived that they were brought into the house
of Joseph, said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in
our sacks at the first; even in order to inform against us, and lay it to
our charge; to take us for servants, and our asses.
43:19 And having approached the man who was over the house of Joseph, they
spoke to him in the porch of the house,
43:20 saying, We pray [thee], Sir; we came down at first to buy food.
43:21 And it came to pass, when we came to unlade, and opened our sacks,
[there was] also this money of each in his sack; we have now brought back
our money by weight in our hands.
43:22 And we have brought other money with us to buy food; we know not who
put the money into our sacks.
43:23 And he said to them, [Elohim deal] mercifully with you; be not afraid;
your Elohim, and the Elohim of your fathers, has given you treasures in your
sacks, and I have enough of your good money. And he brought Symeon out to
them.
43:24 And he brought water to wash their feet; an gave provender to their
asses.
43:25 And they prepared their gifts, until Joseph came at noon, for they
heard that he was going to dine there.
43:26 And Joseph entered into the house, and they brought him the gifts
which they had in their hands, into the house; and they did him reverence
with their face to the ground.
43:27 And he asked them, How are ye? and he said to them, Is your father,
the old man of whom ye spoke, well? Does he yet live?
43:28 And they said, Thy servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And he
said, Blessed be that man by Elohim;-- and they bowed, and did him reverence.
43:29 And Joseph lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, born of
the same mother; and he said, Is this your younger brother, whom ye spoke of
bringing to me? and he said, Elohim have mercy on thee, my son.
43:30 And Joseph was troubled, for his bowels yearned over his brother, and
he sought to weep; and he went into his chamber, and wept there.
43:31 And he washed his face and came out, and refrained himself, and said,
Set on bread.
43:32 And they set on [bread] for him alone, and for them by themselves, and
for the Egyptians feasting with him by themselves, for the Egyptians could
not eat bread with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians.
43:33 And they sat before him, the first-born according to his seniority,
and the younger according to his youth; and the men looked with amazement
every one at his brother.
43:34 And they took their portions from him to themselves; but Benjamin's
portion was five times as much as the portions of [the others]. And they
drank and were filled with drink with him. |
43:1 And the famine was sore in the land.
43:2 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.
43:3 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.
43:4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee
food:
43:5 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.
43:6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man
whether ye had yet a brother?
43:7 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?
43:8 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.
43:9 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:
43:10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second
time.
43:11 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:
43:12 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:
43:13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
43:14 And Elohim 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.
43:15 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.
43:16 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.
43:17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into
Joseph's house.
43:18 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.
43:19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed
with him at the door of the house,
43:20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
43:21 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.
43:22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we
cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
43:23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your Elohim, and the Elohim of your
father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he
brought Simeon out unto them.
43:24 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.
43:25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they
heard that they should eat bread there.
43:26 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.
43:27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the
old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
43:28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet
alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.
43:29 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, Elohim be gracious unto thee, my son.
43:30 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.
43:31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said,
Set on bread.
43:32 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.
43:33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright,
and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one at
another.
43:34 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. |