Study Desk

But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers [in all], the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; please listen: the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive."

but bring your youngest brother to me, so your words will be verified and you will not die." And they did so.

And they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty regarding our brother [Joseph], because we saw the distress and anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us [to let him go], yet we would not listen [to his cry]; so this distress and anguish has come on us."

They loaded their donkeys with grain and left from there.

And he said to his brothers, "My money has been returned! Here it is in my sack!" And their hearts sank, and they were afraid and turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"

Now when they emptied their sacks, every man's bundle of money [paid to buy grain] was in his sack. When they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

And it happened that when the families of Jacob's sons had finished eating [all of] the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little food."

And they said, "The man asked us straightforward questions about ourselves and our relatives. He said, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down [here to Egypt]'?"

Then the men took the present, and they took double the [amount of] money with them, and Benjamin; then they left and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and [expecting the worst] they said, "It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time [we came] that we are being brought in, so that he may find a reason to accuse us and assail us, and take us as slaves, and seize our donkeys."

So they approached the steward of Joseph's house, and talked with him at the entrance of the house,

Then the steward brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed [the dust off] their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.

When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present [of tribute] which they had with them and bowed to the ground before him.

And they answered, "Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive." And they bowed down [their heads before Joseph] in respect.

Joseph selected and sent portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely and celebrated with him.

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's [grain] money in the mouth of the sack.

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

When they had left the city, and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, "Get up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil [to us] for good [paid to you]?

Then they tore their clothes [in grief]; and after each man had loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city.

When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there; and they fell to the ground before him.