Study Desk

Joseph gave orders for his brothers' grain sacks to be filled with grain and for their money to be put in their sacks. He also gave orders for them to be given food for their journey home. After this was done,

When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and right away he saw his moneybag.

"Here's my money!" he told his brothers. "Right here in my sack." They were trembling with fear as they stared at one another and asked themselves, "What has God done to us?"

But Jacob said, "I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame."

until finally, Jacob's family had eaten all the grain they had bought in Egypt. So Jacob said to his sons, "Go back and buy some more grain."

They answered, "He asked a lot of questions about us and our family. He wanted to know if you were still alive and if we had any more brothers. All we could do was answer his questions. How could we know he would tell us to bring along our brother?"

Then Judah said to his father, "Let Benjamin go with me, and we will leave right away, so that none of us will starve to death.

he saw Benjamin and told the servant in charge of his house, "Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and cook it, so they can eat with me at noon."

But on the way they got worried and started thinking, "We are being taken there because of the money that was put back in our sacks last time. He will arrest us, make us his slaves, and take our donkeys."

When Joseph looked around and saw his brother Benjamin, he said, "This must be your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son."

Right away he rushed off to his room and cried because of his love for Benjamin.

After washing his face and returning, he was able to control himself and said, "Serve the meal!"

Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at another. The Egyptians sat at yet another table, because Egyptians felt it was disgusting to eat with Hebrews.

Later, Joseph told the servant in charge of his house, "Fill the men's grain sacks with as much as they can hold and put their money in the sacks. Also put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother." The servant did as he was told.

But they had not gone far from the city when Joseph told the servant, "Go after those men! When you catch them, say, ‘My master has been good to you. So why have you stolen his silver cup?

Not only does he drink from his cup, but he also uses it to learn about the future. You have done a terrible thing.'"

Each of the brothers quickly put his sack on the ground and opened it.

When Judah and his brothers got there, Joseph was still at home. So they bowed down to Joseph,

Sir, our father then reminded us that his favorite wife had given birth to two sons.

Sir, I am your slave. Please let me stay here in place of Benjamin and let him return home with his brothers.