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the famine was severe in the land. 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us: ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you’. 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you’.”
6 Israel asked, “Why have you caused me so much trouble? Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ All we did was to simply answer his questions. How could we have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me, and we will be on our way, so we may live and not die—you and us and our children. 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will bear the blame forever. 10 As it is, if we had not wasted so much time, by now we could have gone and returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount of money with you, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also, and go back at once to the man. 14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of money, and Benjamin. Then they set out and went down to Egypt and presented themselves before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Then slaughter an animal and prepare it, for these men are to eat with me at noon.”
17 The man did as Joseph told him, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 But the men were afraid because they were taken to Joseph’s house. They said, “We have been brought here because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time. Perhaps they will attack us and overpower us. Then they will seize us, make slaves of us, and take our donkeys.”
19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward, and spoke with him at the doorway of the house. 20 “Please sir,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food. 21 But when we came to the place where we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and each man’s money was at the top of his sack. It was the full amount of our money, and we have brought it back with us. 22 We have also brought down additional money with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.”
23 But the steward replied, “Peace be with you. Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 The steward brought the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25 They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they had heard they were going to eat a meal there.
26 When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had carried into the house, and they bowed down to the ground before him. 27 He asked if they were well, and then he said, “How is your aged father that you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 “Your servant our father is well. He is still alive,” they replied. And they bowed down to honour him.
29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 With that, Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome with emotion at the sight of his brother, and he looked for a place to weep. So he went into his private room and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out and, restraining his emotions, he said, “Serve the food.”
32 They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat their meal with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. 33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. 34 When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.