Study Desk

And the famine was severe in the land.

And it happened, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, Go back; buy a little food for us.

And Judah spoke to him, saying, The man fiercely protested, saying to us, You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.

And if you are sending our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.

And if you are not sending, we will not go; for the man said to us, You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.

And Israel said, Why did you do evil to me to tell the man you still had a brother?

And they said, The man keenly asked about us and about our kindred, saying, Is your father still alive? Is there a brother to you? And we said to him on the mouth of these words. Could we know certainly that he would say, Bring down your brother?

And Judah said to his father Israel, Send the youth with me, and let us rise up and go, and we may live and not die, both we, and you, and our little ones.

I will be surety for him; you may require him from my hand. If I do not bring him to you and set him before you, I shall be a sinner against you all the days.

If we had not delayed, truly now we would have returned this twice.

And their father Israel said to them, If it be so, then do this: take from the produce of the land in your vessels and bring down a present to the man, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts and almonds.

And take double silver in your hand, and the silver they put back in the mouth of your sacks, take back in your hand; perhaps it was an oversight.

And take your brother and rise up; return to the man.

And may God Almighty give mercy to you before the man; and may he send your other brother to you, and Benjamin. And I, if am bereaved, I am bereaved.

And the men took this present, and they took double silver in their hand, and Benjamin. And they rose up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

And Joseph saw Benjamin with them. And he said to the one over his house, Bring the men into the house and slaughter and prepare an animal; for the men shall eat with me at noon.

And the man did as Joseph said. And the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house. And they said, Because of the silver that was returned in our sacks before, we are being brought in, to throw himself on us and to fall on us, and to take us and our assesfor slaves.

And they came near to the man who was over Joseph's house and spoke to him at the door of the house.

And they said, Oh my lord, coming we came down to buy food.

And it happened, when we came to the camp and opened our sacks, behold, the silver of each one was in the mouth of his sack; our silver in its weight. And we bring it back in our hand.

And we have brought other silver in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.

And he said, Peace to you; do not fear; your God and the God of your father has given a treasure to you in your sacks; your silver came to me. And he brought Simeon out to them.

And the man led out the men to Joseph's house. And he gave water, and they washed their feet. And he gave fodder for their asses.

And they prepared the present for the coming of Joseph at noon. For they had heard that they would eat bread there.

And Joseph came into the house. And they brought the present in their hand to him, into the house. And they bowed to him, to the earth.

And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is there peace to your father, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?

And they said, Peace is to your servant, to our father; he still lives. And they fell down and bowed.

And he raised his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, the son of his mother. And he said, Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me? And he said, May God favor you, my son.

And Joseph hurried, for his emotions were deeply moved toward his brother. And he sought a place to weep; and he came into the inner room and wept there.

And he washed his face and controlled himself, and went out and said, Set out bread.

And they set out for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians eating with him by themselves. For the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews; for it is an abomination in Egypt.

And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the younger according to his youth. And the men were astonished, each to his neighbor.

And one carried portions from before him to them, and Benjamin's portion was greater than the portions of all of them, five hands. And they drank and were drunken with him.