| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan. | 1Now the famine was severe in the land. |
| 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.” | 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 said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t 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 send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food. | 4If you send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy food for 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.’” | 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 were you so cruel to me?” Jacob moaned. “Why did you tell him you had another brother?” | 6Israel said, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had one more 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’?” | 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'?" |
| 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. | 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 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 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 hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.” | 10But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled 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. | 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. |
| 12Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone’s 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. |
| 13Then take your brother, and go back to the man. | 13Take your brother too, and go right away 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.” | 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 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 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 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.” | 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." |
| 17So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace. | 17The man did just as Joseph said; he brought the men into Joseph's house. |
| 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 | 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!" |
| 19The brothers approached the manager of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace. | 19So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph's household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. |
| 20“Sir,” they said, “we came to Egypt once before to buy food. | 20They said, "My lord, we did indeed come down the first time 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. | 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 also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money 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“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"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. |
| 24The manager then led the men into Joseph’s palace. He 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. |
| 25They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts 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 gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low 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. |
| 27After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke 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“Yes,” they replied. “Our father, your servant, is alive and well.” And they bowed low again. | 28"Your servant our father is well," they replied. "He is still alive." 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.” | 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." |
| 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. | 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. |
| 31After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, “Bring out the food!” | 31Then he washed his face and came out. With composure he said, "Set out the food." |
| 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. | 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.) |
| 33Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest. | 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. |
| 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. | 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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