Genesis 43:1-9 ▼

1 And the dearth was great in the lande.

2 And it came to passe when they had eaten vp the corne which they had brought out of the lande of Egypt, theyr father sayde vnto them: go agayne and bye vs a litle foode.

3 Iuda aunswered him, and sayd, The man did solemply protest vnto vs saying: ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

4 If thou wylt sende our brother with vs, we wyll go downe, and bye thee foode.

5 But yf thou wylt not sende hym, we wyll not go downe: for the man sayde vnto vs, ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

6 And Israel sayd: wherefore dealt ye so cruelly with me, as to tell the man that ye had yet a brother?

7 They aunswered, The man asked vs straytely of our state and of our kinrede, saying: Is your father yet aliue? haue ye not another brother? And we tolde hym accordyng to the tenour of these wordes: Could we by any meane knowe, that he would say, bryng your brother downe with you?

8 The said Iuda vnto Israel his father: send the lad with me, that we may arise and go, and that we may liue, & not dye, yea both we & thou, & also our meany.

9 I wylbe suretie for hym, of my handes shalt thou require hym: yf I bryng hym not to thee agayne, and set him before thine eyes, then let me beare the blame for euer.