New American Standard Bible 1995

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1Now the famine was severe in the land.

1Now the famine in the land was severe.

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."

2When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us some food."

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

3But Judah said to him, "The man specifically warned us: 'You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.'

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

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

5But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, 'You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.'""

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

6Why did you cause me so much trouble?" Israel asked. "Why did you tell the man that you had another brother?"

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 '?"

7They answered, "The man kept asking about us and our family: 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother? And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, 'Bring your brother here'?"

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.

8Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die--neither we, nor you, nor our children.

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.

9I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.

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

10If we had not wasted time, we could have come back twice by now."

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.

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 take them down to the man as a gift--some balsam and some honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds.

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.

12Take twice as much money with you. Return the money that was returned to you in the top of your bags. Perhaps it was a mistake.

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

13Take your brother also, and go back at once to the man.

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."

14May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived."

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.

15The men took this gift, double the amount of money, and Benjamin. They made their way down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

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."

16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his steward, "Take the men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they will eat with me at noon."

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

17The man did as Joseph had said and brought them to Joseph's house.

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."

18But the men were afraid because they were taken to Joseph's house. They said, "We have been brought here because of the money that was returned in our bags the first time. They intend to overpower us, seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys."

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

19So they approached Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the doorway of the house.

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

20They said, "Sir, we really did come down here the first time only to buy food.

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.

21When we came to the place where we lodged for the night and opened our bags of grain, each one's money was at the top of his bag! It was the full amount of our money, and we have brought it back with us.

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."

22We have brought additional money with us to buy food. We don't know who put our money in the bags."

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.

23Then the steward said, "May you be well. Don't be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags. I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

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.

24The steward brought the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and got feed for their donkeys.

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

25Since the men had heard that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph's arrival at noon.

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.

26When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift they had carried into the house, and they bowed to the ground before him.

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

27He asked if they were well, and he said, "How is your elderly father that you told me about? Is he still alive?"

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

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

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."

29When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?" Then he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son."

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.

30Joseph hurried out because he was overcome with emotion for his brother, and he was about to weep. He went into an inner room to weep.

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

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

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.

32They served him by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is abhorrent to them.

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.

33They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment.

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.

34Portions were served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin's portion was five times larger than any of theirs. They drank, and they got intoxicated with Joseph.

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Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.