Study Desk

'But bring your youngest brother to me so that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.'"

And their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my sons: Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me."

Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly, by telling the man whether you still had another brother?"

So Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me and we will arise and go, so that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones.

"I myself will take responsibility for him! You may demand him back from me. If I do not bring him back to you and present him to you, then you can let me take the blame forever.

and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my sons, I am bereaved!"

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, "Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make preparations; for the men are to dine with me at noon."

And as he raised his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" Then he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son."

Joseph said to them, "What is this thing that you have done? Do you not know that a man who is like me can indeed practice divination?"

But he said, "Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

"Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so that I may set my eyes on him.'

"Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons;

and the one left me, and I said, "Surely he is torn to pieces," and I have not seen him since.

'If you also take this one from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.'

"For your servant accepted responsibility for the boy from my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then my father can let me take the blame forever.'

"For how shall I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear that I may see the evil that would overtake my father."

Then Joseph could not control himself in front of everyone standing before him, and he shouted, "Have everyone leave me!" So there was no one with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold to Egypt.

"Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to save lives.

"So God sent me ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.