| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now the famine was still severe in the land. | 1Now the famine was still severe in the land. |
| 2So when they 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 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.” |
| 3But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.' | 3But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ |
| 4If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. | 4If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. |
| 5But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with 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.’ ” |
| 6Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?" | 6“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?” |
| 7They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. 'Is your father still living?' he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?" | 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’?” |
| 8Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. | 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. |
| 9I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. | 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. |
| 10As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice." | 10If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.” |
| 11Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift--a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some 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 carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. |
| 12Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. | 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. |
| 13Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. | 13Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once. |
| 14And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved." | 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.” |
| 15So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. | 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. |
| 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon." | 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.” |
| 17The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph's house. | 17The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house. |
| 18Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys." | 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.” |
| 19So they went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. | 19So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. |
| 20"We beg your pardon, our lord," they said, "we came down here the first time to buy food. | 20“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food. |
| 21But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver--the exact weight--in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. | 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. |
| 22We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in our sacks." | 22We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.” |
| 23"It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them. | 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. |
| 24The steward took the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. | 24And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys. |
| 25They prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there. | 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. |
| 26When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. | 26When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him. |
| 27He asked them how they were, and then he said, "How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?" | 27He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?” |
| 28They replied, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him. | 28“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him. |
| 29As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son." | 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.” |
| 30Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. | 30Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep. |
| 31After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food." | 31Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.” |
| 32They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. | 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. |
| 33The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. | 33They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. |
| 34When portions were served to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's. So they feasted and drank freely with him. | 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. |
|
