Genesis 43
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1Now the famine was still severe in the land.1But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan.
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."2When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, “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 said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t 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 send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food.
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 don’t let Benjamin go, we won’t go either. Remember, the man said, ‘You won’t 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 were you so cruel to me?” Jacob moaned. “Why did you tell him 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'?"7“The man kept asking us questions about our family,” they replied. “He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down 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.8Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and our little ones.
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 personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever.
10As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice."10If we hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned 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.11So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts—balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, 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.12Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake.
13Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.13Then take your brother, and go back to the man.
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 give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it.”
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 packed Jacob’s gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to 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 them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast.”
17The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph's house.17So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace.
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."18The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.” A Feast at Joseph’s Palace
19So they went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.19The brothers approached the manager of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace.
20"We beg your pardon, our lord," they said, "we came down here the first time to buy food.20“Sir,” they said, “we came to Egypt once before 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 as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. Then we discovered that each man’s money—the exact amount paid—was in the top of his sack! Here it is; 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 also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money 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“Relax. Don’t be afraid,” the household manager told them. “Your God, the God of your father, must have put this treasure into your sacks. I know I received your payment.” Then he released Simeon and brought him 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.24The manager then led the men into Joseph’s palace. He 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.25They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts 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 gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low 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?"27After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke 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“Yes,” they replied. “Our father, your servant, is alive and well.” And they bowed low again.
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."29Then Joseph looked at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Joseph asked. “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.30Then Joseph hurried from the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his private room, where he broke down and wept.
31After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food."31After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, “Bring out the food!”
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.32The waiters served Joseph at his own table, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians who ate with Joseph sat at their own table, because Egyptians despise Hebrews and refuse to eat with 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.33Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest.
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.34And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
New International Version (NIV)

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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Genesis 42
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