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Genesis 42:1-46:30
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 42:1-46:30
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt
42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt,(A) he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at each other? 2 Listen,” he went on, “I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die.”(B) 3 So 10 of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, “Something might happen to him.”
5 The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.(C) 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them.
“Where do you come from?” he asked.
“From the land of Canaan to buy food,” they replied.
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them(D) and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the weakness[a] of the land.”
10 “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food,” they said. 11 “We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies.”
12 “No,” he said to them. “You have come to see the weakness of the land.”
13 But they replied, “We, your servants, were 12 brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now[b] with our father, and one is no longer living.”
14 Then Joseph said to them, “I have spoken:[c] ‘You are spies!’ 15 This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17 So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God(E)—do this and you will live. 19 If you are honest, let one of you[d] be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this.
21 Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”(F)
22 But Reuben replied: “Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy?(G) But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!”[e]
23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. Then he turned back and spoke to them. He took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man’s money to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. 26 They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.
The Brothers Return Home
27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his money there at the top of the bag. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: 30 “The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31 But we told him: We are honest and not spies. 32 We were 12 brothers, sons of the same[f] father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is now[g] with our father in the land of Canaan. 33 The man who is the lord of the country said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. 34 Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.’”
35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of money! When they and their father saw their bags of money, they were afraid.
36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Put him in my care,[h] and I will return him to you.”
38 But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left.(H) If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”(I)
Decision to Return to Egypt
43 Now the famine in the land was severe.(J) 2 When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us some food.”
3 But Judah said to him, “The man specifically warned us: ‘You will not see me 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, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’”(K)
6 “Why did you cause me so much trouble?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man that you had another brother?”
7 They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children. 9 I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable![i] If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.(L) 10 If we had not wasted time, we could have come back twice by now.”
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 packs and take them down to the man as a gift—some balsam and some honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds.(M) 12 Take twice as much money with you. Return the money that was returned to you in the top of your bags. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also, and go back at once to the man. 14 May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.”(N)
The Return to Egypt
15 The men took this gift, double the amount of money, and Benjamin. They made their way down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his steward,[j] “Take the men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they will eat with me at noon.” 17 The man did as Joseph had said and brought them 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 bags the first time. They intend to overpower us, seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.” 19 So they approached Joseph’s steward[k] and spoke to him at the doorway of the house.
20 They said, “Sir, we really did come down here the first time only to buy food. 21 When we came to the place where we lodged for the night and opened our bags of grain, each one’s money was at the top of his bag!(O) It was the full amount of our money, and we have brought it back with us. 22 We have brought additional money with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in the bags.”
23 Then the steward said, “May you be well. Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags. 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,(P) and got feed for their donkeys. 25 Since the men had heard that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon. 26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift they had carried into the house, and they bowed to the ground before him.
27 He asked if they were well, and he said, “How is your elderly father that you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 They answered, “Your servant our father is well. He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
29 When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph hurried out because he was overcome with emotion for his brother, and he was about to weep. He went into an inner room to weep. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. Regaining his composure,(Q) he said, “Serve the meal.”
32 They served him by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is abhorrent to them.(R) 33 They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment. 34 Portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, and Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of theirs.(S) They drank, and they got intoxicated with Joseph.
Joseph’s Final Test
44 Then Joseph commanded his steward: “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s money at the top of his bag.(T) 2 Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one’s bag, along with his grain money.” So he did as Joseph told him.
3 At morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?[l] 5 Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination?(U) What you have done is wrong!’”
6 When he overtook them, he said these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal gold and silver from your master’s house? 9 If any of us is[m] found to have it, he must die, and we also will become my lord’s slaves.”(V)
10 The steward replied, “What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.”
11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes,(W) and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him.(X) 15 “What is this you have done?” Joseph said to them. “Didn’t you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?”
16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ iniquity. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”
17 Then Joseph said, “I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father.”
Judah’s Plea for Benjamin
18 But Judah approached him and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord.[n] Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.(Y) 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 and we answered my lord, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age.(Z) The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me so that I can see him.’(AA) 22 But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘If your younger brother does not come down with you, you will not see me again.’(AB)
24 “This is what happened when we went back to your servant my father: We reported your words to him. 25 But our father said, ‘Go again, and buy us some food.’(AC) 26 We told him, ‘We cannot go down unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother isn’t with us, we cannot see the man.’ 27 Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One left—I said that he must have been torn to pieces—and I have never seen him again.(AD) 29 If you also take this one from me and anything happens to him, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.’(AE)
30 “So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life— 31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’(AF) 33 Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father.”
Joseph Reveals His Identity
45 Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants,[o] so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers.(AG) 2 But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt.(AH) 5 And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.(AI) 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7 God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.[p] 8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 “Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. 10 You can settle in the land of Goshen(AJ) and be near me—you, your children, and grandchildren, your sheep, cattle, and all you have. 11 There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.”’(AK) 12 Look! Your eyes and my brother Benjamin’s eyes can see that it is I , Joseph, who am[q] speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.”(AL)
14 Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. 15 Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept,[r] and afterward his brothers talked with him.
The Return for Jacob
16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan. 18 Get your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you can eat from the richness of the land.’ 19 You are also commanded, ‘Do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your young children and your wives and bring your father here.(AM) 20 Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”(AN)
21 The sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave each of the brothers changes of clothes,(AO) but he gave Benjamin 300 pieces of silver and five changes of clothes.(AP) 23 He sent his father the following: 10 donkeys carrying the best products of Egypt and 10 female donkeys carrying grain, food, and provisions for his father on the journey. 24 So Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t argue on the way.”
25 So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26 They said, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned,[s] for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go to see him before I die.”
Jacob Leaves for Egypt
46 Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba,(AQ) and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 That night God spoke to Israel in a vision:(AR) “Jacob, Jacob!” He said.
And Jacob replied, “Here I am.”
3 God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.(AS) 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back.(AT) Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.”[t](AU)
5 Jacob left Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him,(AV) along with their children and their wives. 6 They also took their cattle and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Then Jacob and all his children went with him to Egypt.(AW) 7 His sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters, indeed all his offspring, he brought with him to Egypt.
Jacob’s Family
8 These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt:(AX)
Jacob’s firstborn: Reuben.
9 Reuben’s sons:(AY) Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 Simeon’s sons:(AZ) Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 Levi’s sons:(BA) Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
Perez’s sons:(BB) Hezron and Hamul.
13 Issachar’s sons:(BC) Tola, Puvah,[u] Jashub,[v] and Shimron.
14 Zebulun’s sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These were Leah’s sons born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, as well as his daughter Dinah. The total number of persons:[w] 33.
16 Gad’s sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 Asher’s sons:(BD) Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.
Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malchiel.
18 These were the sons of Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—that she bore to Jacob: 16 persons.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. They were born to him by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, a priest at On.[x]
21 Benjamin’s sons:(BE) Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22 These were Rachel’s sons who were born to Jacob: 14 persons.
23 Dan’s son:[y] Hushim.
24 Naphtali’s sons:(BF) Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel.(BG) She bore to Jacob: seven persons.
26 The total number of persons belonging to Jacob—his direct descendants,[z] not including the wives of Jacob’s sons—who came to Egypt: 66.
27 And Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt: two persons.
All those of Jacob’s household who had come to Egypt: 70[aa] persons.(BH)
Jacob Arrives in Egypt
28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival[ab] at Goshen.(BI) When they came to the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.(BJ)
30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen your face and know you are still alive!”
Footnotes
- Genesis 42:9 Lit nakedness
- Genesis 42:13 Or today
- Genesis 42:14 Lit “That which I spoke to you saying
- Genesis 42:19 Lit your brothers
- Genesis 42:22 Lit Even his blood is being sought
- Genesis 42:32 Lit of our
- Genesis 42:32 Or today
- Genesis 42:37 Lit hand
- Genesis 43:9 Lit can seek him from my hand
- Genesis 43:16 Lit to the one who was over his house
- Genesis 43:19 Lit approached the one who was over the house
- Genesis 44:4 LXX adds Why have you stolen my silver cup?
- Genesis 44:9 Lit If your servants are
- Genesis 44:18 Lit speak a word in my lord’s ears
- Genesis 45:1 Lit all those standing about him
- Genesis 45:7 Or keep alive for you many survivors
- Genesis 45:12 Lit that my mouth is
- Genesis 45:15 Lit brothers, and he wept over them
- Genesis 45:26 Lit Jacob’s heart was numb
- Genesis 46:4 = Joseph will close your eyes after you die
- Genesis 46:13 Sam, Syr read Puah; 1Ch 7:1
- Genesis 46:13 Sam, LXX; MT reads Iob
- Genesis 46:15 Lit All persons his sons and his daughters
- Genesis 46:20 Or Heliopolis
- Genesis 46:23 Alt Hb tradition reads sons
- Genesis 46:26 Lit Jacob who came out from his loins
- Genesis 46:27 LXX reads 75; Ac 7:14
- Genesis 46:28 Lit to give directions before him
Genesis 42:1-46:30
New International Version
Genesis 42:1-46:30
New International Version
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt,(A) he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” 2 He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us,(B) so that we may live and not die.”(C)
3 Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain(D) from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin,(E) Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him.(F) 5 So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain,(G) for there was famine in the land of Canaan(H) also.(I)
6 Now Joseph was the governor of the land,(J) the person who sold grain to all its people.(K) So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.(L) 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.(M) “Where do you come from?”(N) he asked.
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.”
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.(O) 9 Then he remembered his dreams(P) about them and said to them, “You are spies!(Q) You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”(R)
10 “No, my lord,(S)” they answered. “Your servants have come to buy food.(T) 11 We are all the sons of one man. Your servants(U) are honest men,(V) not spies.(W)”
12 “No!” he said to them. “You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”(X)
13 But they replied, “Your servants(Y) were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan.(Z) The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”(AA)
14 Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies!(AB) 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives,(AC) you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.(AD) 16 Send one of your number to get your brother;(AE) the rest of you will be kept in prison,(AF) so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth.(AG) If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!(AH)” 17 And he put them all in custody(AI) for three days.
18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:(AJ) 19 If you are honest men,(AK) let one of your brothers stay here in prison,(AL) while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households.(AM) 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me,(AN) so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.
21 They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother.(AO) We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress(AP) has come on us.”
22 Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?(AQ) But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting(AR) for his blood.”(AS) 23 They did not realize(AT) that Joseph could understand them,(AU) since he was using an interpreter.
24 He turned away from them and began to weep,(AV) but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.(AW)
25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain,(AX) to put each man’s silver back in his sack,(AY) and to give them provisions(AZ) for their journey.(BA) After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys(BB) and left.
27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey,(BC) and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack.(BD) 28 “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”
Their hearts sank(BE) and they turned to each other trembling(BF) and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”(BG)
29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan,(BH) they told him all that had happened to them.(BI) They said, 30 “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us(BJ) and treated us as though we were spying on the land.(BK) 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.(BL) 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’(BM)
33 “Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go.(BN) 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men.(BO) Then I will give your brother back to you,(BP) and you can trade[a] in the land.(BQ)’”
35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver!(BR) When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened.(BS) 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more,(BT) and now you want to take Benjamin.(BU) Everything is against me!(BV)”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care,(BW) and I will bring him back.”(BX)
38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead(BY) and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him(BZ) on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave(CA) in sorrow.(CB)”
The Second Journey to Egypt
43 Now the famine was still severe in the land.(CC) 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt,(CD) their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”(CE)
3 But Judah(CF) said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’(CG) 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you.(CH) 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.(CI)’”
6 Israel(CJ) asked, “Why did you bring this trouble(CK) on me by telling the man you had another brother?”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’(CL) he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’(CM) We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”(CN)
8 Then Judah(CO) said to Israel(CP) his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.(CQ) 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him.(CR) If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame(CS) before you all my life.(CT) 10 As it is, if we had not delayed,(CU) we could have gone and returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel(CV) said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products(CW) of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift(CX)—a little balm(CY) and a little honey, some spices(CZ) and myrrh,(DA) some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount(DB) of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks.(DC) Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.(DD) 14 And may God Almighty[b](DE) grant you mercy(DF) before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you.(DG) As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”(DH)
15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver,(DI) and Benjamin also. They hurried(DJ) down to Egypt and presented themselves(DK) to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin(DL) with them, he said to the steward of his house,(DM) “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal;(DN) they are to eat with me at noon.”
17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house.(DO) 18 Now the men were frightened(DP) when they were taken to his house.(DQ) They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks(DR) the first time. He wants to attack us(DS) and overpower us and seize us as slaves(DT) and take our donkeys.(DU)”
19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward(DV) and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20 “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food.(DW) 21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us.(DX) 22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”
23 “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father,(DY) has given you treasure in your sacks;(DZ) I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.(EA)
24 The steward took the men into Joseph’s house,(EB) gave them water to wash their feet(EC) and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25 They prepared their gifts(ED) for Joseph’s arrival at noon,(EE) because they had heard that they were to eat there.
26 When Joseph came home,(EF) they presented to him the gifts(EG) they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground.(EH) 27 He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father(EI) you told me about? Is he still living?”(EJ)
28 They replied, “Your servant our father(EK) is still alive and well.” And they bowed down,(EL) prostrating themselves before him.(EM)
29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son,(EN) he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?”(EO) And he said, “God be gracious to you,(EP) my son.” 30 Deeply moved(EQ) at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept(ER) there.
31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself,(ES) said, “Serve the food.”(ET)
32 They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews,(EU) for that is detestable to Egyptians.(EV) 33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn(EW) to the youngest;(EX) 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 anyone else’s.(EY) So they feasted(EZ) and drank freely with him.
A Silver Cup in a Sack
44 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house:(FA) “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.(FB) 2 Then put my cup,(FC) the silver one,(FD) in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.
3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.(FE) 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward,(FF) “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?(FG) 5 Isn’t this the cup(FH) my master drinks from and also uses for divination?(FI) This is a wicked thing you have done.’”
6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants(FJ) to do anything like that!(FK) 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan(FL) the silver(FM) we found inside the mouths of our sacks.(FN) So why would we steal(FO) silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If any of your servants(FP) is found to have it, he will die;(FQ) and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.(FR)”
10 “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it(FS) will become my slave;(FT) the rest of you will be free from blame.”(FU)
11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward(FV) proceeded to search,(FW) beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest.(FX) And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.(FY) 13 At this, they tore their clothes.(FZ) Then they all loaded their donkeys(GA) and returned to the city.
14 Joseph was still in the house(GB) when Judah(GC) and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.(GD) 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done?(GE) Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?(GF)”
16 “What can we say to my lord?(GG)” Judah(GH) replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence?(GI) God has uncovered your servants’(GJ) guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves(GK)—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.(GL)”
17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing!(GM) Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave.(GN) The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”(GO)
18 Then Judah(GP) went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,(GQ) let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry(GR) with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants,(GS) ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’(GT) 20 And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age.(GU) His brother is dead,(GV) and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’(GW)
21 “Then you said to your servants,(GX) ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’(GY) 22 And we said to my lord,(GZ) ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’(HA) 23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’(HB) 24 When we went back to your servant my father,(HC) we told him what my lord(HD) had said.(HE)
25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’(HF) 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’(HG)
27 “Your servant my father(HH) said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.(HI) 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.”(HJ) And I have not seen him since.(HK) 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave(HL) in misery.’(HM)
30 “So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father,(HN) and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life,(HO) 31 sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die.(HP) Your servants(HQ) will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave(HR) in sorrow. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’(HS)
33 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave(HT) in place of the boy,(HU) and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery(HV) that would come on my father.”(HW)
Joseph Makes Himself Known
45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself(HX) before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!”(HY) So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept(HZ) so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.(IA)
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”(IB) But his brothers were not able to answer him,(IC) because they were terrified at his presence.(ID)
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”(IE) When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!(IF) 5 And now, do not be distressed(IG) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,(IH) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.(II) 6 For two years now there has been famine(IJ) in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant(IK) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.[c](IL)
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.(IM) He made me father(IN) to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.(IO) 9 Now hurry(IP) back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay.(IQ) 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen(IR) and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.(IS) 11 I will provide for you there,(IT) because five years of famine(IU) are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’(IV)
12 “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin,(IW) that it is really I who am speaking to you.(IX) 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt(IY) and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.(IZ)”
14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin(JA) embraced him,(JB) weeping. 15 And he kissed(JC) all his brothers and wept over them.(JD) Afterward his brothers talked with him.(JE)
16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,(JF) Pharaoh and all his officials(JG) were pleased.(JH) 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals(JI) and return to the land of Canaan,(JJ) 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt(JK) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’(JL)
19 “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts(JM) from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never mind about your belongings,(JN) because the best of all Egypt(JO) will be yours.’”
21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,(JP) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.(JQ) 22 To each of them he gave new clothing,(JR) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels[d] of silver and five sets of clothes.(JS) 23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys(JT) loaded with the best things(JU) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.(JV) 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”(JW)
25 So they went up out of Egypt(JX) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.(JY) 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”(JZ) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.(KA) 27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts(KB) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “I’m convinced!(KC) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”(KD)
Jacob Goes to Egypt
46 So Israel(KE) set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba,(KF) he offered sacrifices(KG) to the God of his father Isaac.(KH)
2 And God spoke to Israel(KI) in a vision at night(KJ) and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,”(KK) he replied.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,”(KL) he said. “Do not be afraid(KM) to go down to Egypt,(KN) for I will make you into a great nation(KO) there.(KP) 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.(KQ) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.(KR)”
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba,(KS) and Israel’s(KT) sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts(KU) that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt,(KV) taking with them their livestock and the possessions(KW) they had acquired(KX) in Canaan. 7 Jacob brought with him to Egypt(KY) his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.(KZ)
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel(LA) (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:
Reuben the firstborn(LB) of Jacob.
9 The sons of Reuben:(LC)
Hanok, Pallu,(LD) Hezron and Karmi.(LE)
10 The sons of Simeon:(LF)
Jemuel,(LG) Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar(LH) and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 The sons of Levi:(LI)
Gershon,(LJ) Kohath(LK) and Merari.(LL)
12 The sons of Judah:(LM)
Er,(LN) Onan,(LO) Shelah, Perez(LP) and Zerah(LQ) (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).(LR)
The sons of Perez:(LS)
Hezron and Hamul.(LT)
13 The sons of Issachar:(LU)
Tola, Puah,[e](LV) Jashub[f](LW) and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun:(LX)
Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[g](LY) besides his daughter Dinah.(LZ) These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.
16 The sons of Gad:(MA)
Zephon,[h](MB) Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher:(MC)
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.
Their sister was Serah.
The sons of Beriah:
Heber and Malkiel.
18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah,(MD) whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah(ME)—sixteen in all.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel:(MF)
Joseph and Benjamin.(MG) 20 In Egypt, Manasseh(MH) and Ephraim(MI) were born to Joseph(MJ) by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.[i](MK)
21 The sons of Benjamin:(ML)
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.(MM)
22 These were the sons of Rachel(MN) who were born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah,(MR) whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel(MS)—seven in all.
26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.(MT) 27 With the two sons[j] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt,(MU) the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy[k] in all.(MV)
28 Now Jacob sent Judah(MW) ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen.(MX) When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot(MY) made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.(MZ) As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father[l] and wept(NA) for a long time.(NB)
30 Israel(NC) said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”(ND)
Footnotes
- Genesis 42:34 Or move about freely
- Genesis 43:14 Hebrew El-Shaddai
- Genesis 45:7 Or save you as a great band of survivors
- Genesis 45:22 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
- Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Puvah
- Genesis 46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Num. 26:24 and 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Iob
- Genesis 46:15 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 46:16 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 26:15); Masoretic Text Ziphion
- Genesis 46:20 That is, Heliopolis
- Genesis 46:27 Hebrew; Septuagint the nine children
- Genesis 46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5 and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five
- Genesis 46:29 Hebrew around him
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