Genesis 43
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1But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan.1Meanwhile, the famine remained severe throughout the region.
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.”2As a result, when Jacob's family was beginning to eat the last of the grain that they had brought back from Egypt, their father Jacob told his sons, "Go back to Egypt and buy us some food."
3But Judah said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’3But Judah reminded him, "The man distinctly warned us: 'You'll never see my face unless your brother comes with you.'
4If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food.4So if you send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy some food.
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.’”5But if you don't send him, we're not going, because the man told us, 'You'll never see my face unless your brother is with you.'"
6“Why were you so cruel to me?” Jacob moaned. “Why did you tell him you had another brother?”6Israel replied, "Why did you make all this trouble by telling the man that you have another brother?"
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’?”7"The man specifically asked about us and our relatives," they responded. "He asked us, 'Is your father still alive?' and 'Do you have another brother?' So we answered his questions. How could we have known that he would tell us to bring our brother back with us?"
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.8"Send the young man with me," Judah told his father Israel, "and we'll get up and go so we can survive and not die—and that includes all of us, you and our families.
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.9I'll even offer myself to guarantee that I'll be responsible for him. If I don't bring him back and present him to you, I'll personally bear the consequences forever.
10If we hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.”10After all, if we hadn't delayed, we could have been there and back twice by now!"
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.11"If that's the way it has to be," their father Israel replied, "then do this: take some of the best produce of the land in your containers and take them to the man as a gift—some resin ointment, some honey, fragrant resins, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds.
12Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake.12Also take twice as much money with you so you can return the money that had been replaced in the mouth of your sacks. Maybe it was an accounting mistake on his part.
13Then take your brother, and go back to the man.13And be sure to take your brother, too. So get up, return to the man,
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.”14and may God Almighty cause the man to show compassion toward you. May he send all of you back, including your other brother and Benjamin. Now as for me, if I lose my children, I lose them."
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.15So the men took their gift and twice as much money, got up, took Benjamin with them, and set out for Egypt. Eventually they appeared before Joseph.
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.”16As soon as Joseph noticed that Benjamin had come with them, he ordered his palace manager, "Bring the men into the palace. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, because these men will be dining with me for lunch."
17So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace.17So the man did what Joseph had ordered, and brought the men to Joseph's palace.
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 Palace18The men were terrified as they were being taken to Joseph's palace. "It's because of that money that was returned to our sacks the first time we were brought to him," they reasoned. "He's seeking an excuse to attack us, enslave us, and confiscate our donkeys!"
19The brothers approached the manager of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace.19So they approached Joseph's palace manager and talked with him at the palace entrance.
20“Sir,” they said, “we came to Egypt once before to buy food.20"Your Excellency," they said, "The first time we came here to buy food,
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.21when we arrived at our overnight lodging place, we opened our sacks and discovered each man's money was still in the mouth of his sack. All of our money was there! We've brought it back with us in full.
22We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money in our sacks.”22We've also brought along some more money to buy supplies, but we don't know who put our money back into our sacks."
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.23"Relax," the manager said. "You can stop being afraid, now. Your God, the God of your father, has placed hidden treasure within those sacks for you. I've been paid in full." Then he brought Simeon out to them,
24The manager then led the men into Joseph’s palace. He gave them water to wash their feet and provided food for their donkeys.24ushered the men into Joseph's palace, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided fodder for their donkeys.
25They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon.25Then off he went to prepare the honorary meal that was to be made ready for Joseph's arrival at noon, since they had been informed that they were going to be eating there.
26When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low to the ground before him.26When Joseph arrived at his palace, his brothers brought to him their gifts that they had carried with them and bowed to the ground in front of him.
27After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”27Joseph asked them how they had been doing. "Is your father well, the older gentleman about whom you spoke?" he inquired. "Is he still alive?"
28“Yes,” they replied. “Our father, your servant, is alive and well.” And they bowed low again.28"Your servant, our father, is doing well," they replied. "He is still alive." Then they bowed down in humility.
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.”29As Joseph looked up and recognized his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother about whom you spoke to me?" And he addressed him directly, "May God be gracious to you, my son."
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.30At this, Joseph hurried out, deeply moved because of his brother, and looked for a place to weep by himself. He entered his personal quarters, wept there awhile,
31After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, “Bring out the food!”31then washed his face and came out. Barely controlling himself, he ordered his staff to serve the meal.
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.32Joseph's staff served him by himself, his brothers separately, and the Egyptian staff members by themselves, because the Egyptians wouldn't take their meal with the Hebrews, since doing so was detestable for the Egyptians.
33Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest.33Meanwhile, the brothers were seated in front of Joseph in birth order, from firstborn to youngest. The men stared at one another in astonishment.
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.34Joseph himself brought portions to them from his own table, except that he provided to Benjamin five times as much as he did for each of the others. So they feasted together and drank freely with Joseph.
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.The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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Genesis 42
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