Study Desk

But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then your words will be verified and you will not die." They did as he said.

So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

He said to his brothers, "My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!" They were dismayed; they turned trembling to one another and said, "What in the world has God done to us?"

They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying,

When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man's bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid.

They replied, "The man questioned us thoroughly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered him in this way. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down'?"

So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph's house. They said, "We are being brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks last time. He wants to capture us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys!"

So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph's household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.

The servant in charge brought the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys.

When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, and they bowed down to the ground before him.

They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers, and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians are not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting to do so.)

They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment.

He instructed the servant who was over his household, "Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.

They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

So Judah and his brothers came back to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.

Then he sent his brothers on their way and they left. He said to them, "As you travel don't be overcome with fear."

So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.

They told him, "Joseph is still alive and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!" Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them.

But when they related to him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, their father Jacob's spirit revived.