Study Desk

As the brothers emptied their sacks, each of them found his money in his sack. When they and their father saw it, they were afraid.

Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put my two sons to death if I don't bring Benjamin back to you. Trust him to my care, and I will bring him back to you."

But Jacob said, "I will not allow Benjamin to go with you. His brother is dead, and he is the only son left from my wife Rachel. I am afraid something terrible might happen to him during the trip to Egypt. Then I would be sad until the day I die."

The brothers answered, "He questioned us carefully about ourselves and our family. He asked us, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We just answered his questions. How could we know he would ask us to bring our other brother to him?"

Then Judah said to his father Jacob, "Send Benjamin with me, and we will go at once so that we, you, and our children may live and not die.

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant in charge of his house, "Bring those men into my house. Kill an animal and prepare a meal. Those men will eat with me today at noon."

While we were going home, we stopped for the night and when we opened our sacks each of us found all his money in his sack. We brought that money with us to give it back to you.

When Joseph saw his brother Benjamin, who had the same mother as he, Joseph asked, "Is this your youngest brother you told me about?" Then he said to Benjamin, "God be good to you, my son!"

Then Joseph hurried off because he had to hold back the tears when he saw his brother Benjamin. So Joseph went into his room and cried there.

Then he washed his face and came out. He controlled himself and said, "Serve the meal."

So they served Joseph at one table, his brothers at another table, and the Egyptians who ate with him at another table. This was because Egyptians did not like Hebrews and never ate with them.

Then Joseph gave a command to the servant in charge of his house. He said, "Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man's money into his sack with the grain.

Put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother, along with his money for the grain." The servant did what Joseph told him.

They were not far from the city when Joseph said to the servant in charge of his house, "Go after the men. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why have you paid back evil for good?

Then every brother quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

When Judah and his brothers went back to Joseph's house, Joseph was still there, so the brothers bowed facedown on the ground before him.

And we answered you, ‘We have an old father. And we have a younger brother, who was born when our father was old. This youngest son's brother is dead, so he is the only one of his mother's children left alive, and our father loves him very much.'

And we said to you, ‘That young boy cannot leave his father, because if he leaves him, his father would die.'

So now, please allow me to stay here and be your slave, and let the young boy go back home with his brothers.

Joseph could not control himself in front of his servants any longer, so he cried out, "Have everyone leave me." When only the brothers were left with Joseph, he told them who he was.