| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 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.” | 2When they finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Return, buy us a little more food." |
| 3But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ | 3But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, 'You will 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. | 4If you send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy food for you. |
| 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.’ ” | 5But if you will not send him, we won't go down there because 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?” | 6Israel said, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had one more 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’?” | 7They replied, "The man questioned us thoroughly about ourselves and our family, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered him in this way. How 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. | 8Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me and we will go immediately. Then we will live and not die--we and 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. | 9I myself pledge security for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. |
| 10If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.” | 10But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled there and back twice by now!" |
| 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 take a gift down to the man--a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios 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. | 12Take double the money with you; you must take back the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks--perhaps it was an oversight. |
| 13Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once. | 13Take your brother too, and go right away 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.” | 14May the sovereign God grant you mercy before the man so that he may release your other brother and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them." |
| 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 these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried 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 the servant who was over his household, "Bring the men to the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon." |
| 17The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house. | 17The man did just as Joseph said; he brought the men into 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.” | 18But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph's house. They said, "We are being brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks last time. He wants to capture us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys!" |
| 19So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. | 19So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph's household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. |
| 20“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food. | 20They said, "My lord, we did indeed come 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. | 21But when we came to the place where we spent the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found his money--the full amount--in the mouth of his sack. So we have returned it. |
| 22We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.” | 22We have brought additional money with us to buy food. We do not know who put the 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. | 23"Everything is fine," the man in charge of Joseph's household told them. "Don't 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. | 24The servant in charge brought the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys. |
| 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. | 25They got their gifts ready for Joseph's arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to have 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 presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, and they bowed down 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?” | 27He asked them how they were doing. Then he said, "Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?" |
| 28“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him. | 28"Your servant our father is well," they replied. "He is still alive." They bowed down in humility. |
| 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.” | 29When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?" Then 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 overcome by affection for his brother and was at the point of tears. So he went to his room 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. With composure he said, "Set out the food." |
| 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. | 32They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers, and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians are not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting to do so.) |
| 33They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. | 33They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. The men looked at each other 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 gave them portions of the food set before him, but the portion for Benjamin was five times greater than the portions for any of the others. They drank with Joseph until they all became drunk. |
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