Study Desk

But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’”

I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.

May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.”

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his steward, “Take the men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they will eat with me at noon.”

When we came to the place where we lodged for the night and opened our bags of grain, each one’s silver was at the top of his bag! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.

The steward brought the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and got feed for their donkeys.

Since the men had heard that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

Joseph hurried out because he was overcome with emotion for his brother, and he was about to weep. He went into an inner room and wept there.

Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one’s bag, along with the silver for his grain.” So he did as Joseph told him.

They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wrong!’”

But Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.

Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’

For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father.”

And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.

For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.

There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.”’

You are also commanded to tell them, ‘Do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your dependents and your wives and bring your father here.

Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

The sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey.