And it happened, when they had finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”
And Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us: ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.
But if you will not send him, we will not go down — for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
And Israel said, “Why did you do me this evil — telling the man you had another brother?”
And they said, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and let us rise and go — so that we may live and not die, we and you and our little ones alike.
I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you may require him. If I do not bring him to you and set him before you, I will bear the sin against you all my days.
For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
And Israel their father said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down a gift for the man — a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
And take double the silver in your hand; and the silver that was returned in the mouths of your sacks, carry it back in your hand — perhaps it was a mistake.
And take your brother. And rise, return to the man.
And may God Almighty give you compassion before the man, so that he releases to you your other brother, and Benjamin. And I — if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
And the men took this gift, and double the silver they took in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rose and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
Joseph’s Hospitality to His Brothers
And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one over his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and prepare it — for the men shall eat with me at noon.”
And the man did as Joseph said, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is over the matter of the silver returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in — to roll over us and fall on us, and take us as slaves, with our donkeys.”
And they came near to the man who was over Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the entrance of the house,
and said, “Please, my lord — we surely came down the first time to buy food.
And it happened, when we came to the lodging place and opened our sacks — look, each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack, our silver in its full weight. And we have brought it back in our hand.
And other silver we have brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
And he said, “Peace to you; do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you treasure in your sacks. Your silver came to me.” And he brought Simeon out to them.
And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave feed to their donkeys.
And they prepared the gift for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they had heard that they would eat bread there.
And Joseph came into the house, and they brought him the gift that was in their hand, into the house, and they bowed down to him to the ground.
And he asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your old father well — the one you spoke of? Is he still alive?”
And they said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.
And he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”
And Joseph hurried out — for his compassion burned toward his brother, and he needed to weep — and he went into the inner room and wept there.
And he washed his face and came out, and controlled himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”
And they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians eating with him by themselves — for the Egyptians cannot eat bread with the Hebrews; it is an abomination to Egypt.
And they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth — and the men looked at one another in amazement.
And portions were carried to them from before him, and Benjamin’s portion was five times greater than the portions of them all. And they drank, and drank freely with him.
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