GE-43:1  And the famine [was] sore in the land.

GE-43:2  And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn

which

they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go

again,

buy us a little food.

GE-43:3  And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly

protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your

brother

[be] with you.

GE-43:4  If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down

and

buy thee food:

GE-43:5  But if thou wilt not send [him], we will not go down:

for the

man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother

[be]

with you.

GE-43:6  And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye [so] ill with me,

[as] to

tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

GE-43:7  And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state,

and of

our kindred, saying, [Is] your father yet alive? have ye

[another]

brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words:

could

we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

GE-43:8  And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad

with me,

and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we,

 and

thou, [and] also our little ones.

GE-43:9  I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require

him:

if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let

me

bear the blame for ever:

GE-43:10  For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned

this

second time.

GE-43:11  And their father Israel said unto them, If [it must

be] so

now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your

vessels, and

carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey,

spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

GE-43:12  And take double money in your hand; and the money that

was

brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry [it] again in

your

hand; peradventure it [was] an oversight:

GE-43:13  Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the

man:

GE-43:14  And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that

he may

send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved [of

my

children], I am bereaved.

GE-43:15  And the men took that present, and they took double

money in

their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt,

and

stood before Joseph.

GE-43:16  And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the

ruler

of his house, Bring [these] men home, and slay, and make ready;

for

[these] men shall dine with me at noon.

GE-43:17  And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought

the men

into Joseph's house.

GE-43:18  And the men were afraid, because they were brought into

Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was

returned

in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may

seek

occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen,

and

our asses.

GE-43:19  And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house,

and

they communed with him at the door of the house,

GE-43:20  And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time

to

buy food:

GE-43:21  And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we

opened

our sacks, and, behold, [every] man's money [was] in the mouth

of his

sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in

our

hand.

GE-43:22  And other money have we brought down in our hands to

buy

food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

GE-43:23  And he said, Peace [be] to you, fear not: your God,

and the

God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had

your

money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

GE-43:24  And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and

gave

[them] water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses

provender.

GE-43:25  And they made ready the present against Joseph came at

noon:

for they heard that they should eat bread there.

GE-43:26  And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present

which [was] in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves

to him

to the earth.

GE-43:27  And he asked them of [their] welfare, and said, [Is]

your

father well, the old man of whom ye spake? [Is] he yet alive?

GE-43:28  And they answered, Thy servant our father [is] in good

health, he [is] yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and

made

obeisance.

GE-43:29  And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother

Benjamin, his

mother's son, and said, [Is] this your younger brother, of whom

ye

spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

GE-43:30  And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon

his

brother: and he sought [where] to weep; and he entered into [his]

chamber, and wept there.

GE-43:31  And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained

himself,

and said, Set on bread.

GE-43:32  And they set on for him by himself, and for them by

themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by

themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the

Hebrews; for that [is] an abomination unto the Egyptians.

GE-43:33  And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his

birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men

marvelled one at another.

GE-43:34  And he took [and sent] messes unto them from before

him: but

Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they

drank, and were merry with him.



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