Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Now the famine was still severe in the land.

1Now the famine was severe in the land.

2So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

2So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food."

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

3Judah spoke to him, however, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.'

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

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

5But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ ”

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.'"

6“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”

6Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had another brother?"

7They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

7But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down '?"

8And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.

8Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones.

9I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.

9"I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.

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

10"For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice."

11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

11Then 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 down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

12Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.

12"Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.

13Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.

13"Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man;

14May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

14and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."

15So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

15So the men took this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

16When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”

16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, "Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon."

17The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.

17So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph's house.

18But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

18Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, "It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys."

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

19So they came near to Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,

20“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.

20and said, "Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food,

21But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.

21and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand.

22We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”

22"We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks."

23“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

23He said, "Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.

24Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.

25Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

25So they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.

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

26When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him.

27He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”

27Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"

28“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.

28They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." They bowed down in homage.

29When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

29As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son."

30Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.

30Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there.

31Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”

31Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, "Serve the meal."

32They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.

32So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians.

33They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

33Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

34When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.

34He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

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