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Genesis 43-45
21st Century King James Version
Genesis 43-45
21st Century King James Version
43 And the famine was sore in the land.
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.”
3 And Judah spoke unto him, saying, “The man did solemnly declare unto us, saying, ‘Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.’
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food.
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, unless your brother be with you.’”
6 And Israel said, “Why dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?”
7 And they said, “The man asked us strictly about our state, and about 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’?”
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.
9 I will be surety for him; from 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;
10 for had we not lingered, surely now we would have returned this second time.”
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.
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. Perhaps it was an oversight.
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man;
14 and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved!”
15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, “Bring these men home, and slay a beast and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.”
17 And the man did as Joseph bade, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
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 the first time are we brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and also our asses.”
19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house
20 and said, “O sir, we came indeed down the first time to buy food.
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.
22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food. We cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.”
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.
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.
25 And they made ready the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves before him to the earth.
27 And he asked them of their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?”
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.
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 spoke unto me?” And he said, “God be gracious unto thee, my son.”
30 And Joseph made haste, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he sought somewhere to weep; and he entered into his chamber and wept there.
31 And he washed his face and went out, and restrained himself, and said, “Set on the bread.”
32 And they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marveled one at another.
34 And he took and sent portions unto them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.
44 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 money in the mouth of his sack.
2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.” And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
4 And when they had gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, “Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, ‘Why have ye rewarded evil for good?
5 Is not this that from which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? Ye have done evil in so doing.’”
6 And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these same words.
7 And they said unto him, “Why saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing!
8 Behold, the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan. How then would we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?
9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.”
10 And he said, “Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant, and ye shall be blameless.”
11 Then every man speedily took down his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
12 And he searched, and began with the eldest and ended with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 Then they rent their clothes; and every man loaded his ass, and returned to the city.
14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house (for he was yet there), and they fell before him on the ground.
15 And Joseph said unto them, “What deed is this that ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?”
16 And Judah said, “What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”
17 And he said, “God forbid that I should do so; but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, go up in peace unto your father.”
18 Then Judah came near unto him and said, “Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have ye a father or a brother?’
20 And we said unto my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.’
21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, ‘Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.’
22 And we said unto my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.’
24 And it came to pass, when we came up unto thy servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 And our father said, ‘Go again, and buy us a little food.’
26 And we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27 And thy servant, my father, said unto us, ‘Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;
28 and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces”; and I saw him not since.
29 And if ye take this also from me, and harm befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’
30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father and the lad be not with us, seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life,
31 it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, ‘If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.’
33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant remain instead of the lad as a bondman to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren.
34 For how shall I go up to my father and the lad be not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that shall come upon my father?”
45 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, “Cause every man to go out from me!” And there stood no man with him while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2 And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, “I am Joseph. Doth my father yet live?” And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, “Come near to me, I pray you.” And they came near; and he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land, and yet there are five years in which there shall neither be planting nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 Hasten ye, and go up to my father and say unto him, ‘Thus saith thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of all Egypt. Come down unto me, tarry not;
10 and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me — thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks and thy herds and all that thou hast.
11 And there will I nourish thee (for yet there are five years of famine), lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast come to poverty.’
12 And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall make haste and bring down my father hither.”
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren talked with him.
16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brethren have come”; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, “Say unto thy brethren, ‘This do ye: Load your beasts and go, get you unto the land of Canaan.
18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.’
19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye: ‘Take with you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 Also, regard not your possessions, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 And the children of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
23 And to his father he sent in this manner: ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten sheasses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father on the way.
24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and he said unto them, “See that ye fall not out on the way.”
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
26 and told him, saying, “Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive! I will go and see him before I die.”
Genesis 43-45
New International Version
Genesis 43-45
New International Version
The Second Journey to Egypt
43 Now the famine was still severe in the land.(A) 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt,(B) their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”(C)
3 But Judah(D) said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’(E) 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you.(F) 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.(G)’”
6 Israel(H) asked, “Why did you bring this trouble(I) 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?’(J) he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’(K) We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”(L)
8 Then Judah(M) said to Israel(N) 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.(O) 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him.(P) If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame(Q) before you all my life.(R) 10 As it is, if we had not delayed,(S) we could have gone and returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel(T) said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products(U) of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift(V)—a little balm(W) and a little honey, some spices(X) and myrrh,(Y) some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount(Z) of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks.(AA) Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.(AB) 14 And may God Almighty[a](AC) grant you mercy(AD) before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you.(AE) As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”(AF)
15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver,(AG) and Benjamin also. They hurried(AH) down to Egypt and presented themselves(AI) to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin(AJ) with them, he said to the steward of his house,(AK) “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal;(AL) they are to eat with me at noon.”
17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house.(AM) 18 Now the men were frightened(AN) when they were taken to his house.(AO) They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks(AP) the first time. He wants to attack us(AQ) and overpower us and seize us as slaves(AR) and take our donkeys.(AS)”
19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward(AT) 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.(AU) 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.(AV) 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,(AW) has given you treasure in your sacks;(AX) I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.(AY)
24 The steward took the men into Joseph’s house,(AZ) gave them water to wash their feet(BA) and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25 They prepared their gifts(BB) for Joseph’s arrival at noon,(BC) because they had heard that they were to eat there.
26 When Joseph came home,(BD) they presented to him the gifts(BE) they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground.(BF) 27 He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father(BG) you told me about? Is he still living?”(BH)
28 They replied, “Your servant our father(BI) is still alive and well.” And they bowed down,(BJ) prostrating themselves before him.(BK)
29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son,(BL) he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?”(BM) And he said, “God be gracious to you,(BN) my son.” 30 Deeply moved(BO) at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept(BP) there.
31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself,(BQ) said, “Serve the food.”(BR)
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,(BS) for that is detestable to Egyptians.(BT) 33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn(BU) to the youngest;(BV) 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.(BW) So they feasted(BX) and drank freely with him.
A Silver Cup in a Sack
44 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house:(BY) “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.(BZ) 2 Then put my cup,(CA) the silver one,(CB) 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.(CC) 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward,(CD) “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?(CE) 5 Isn’t this the cup(CF) my master drinks from and also uses for divination?(CG) 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(CH) to do anything like that!(CI) 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan(CJ) the silver(CK) we found inside the mouths of our sacks.(CL) So why would we steal(CM) silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If any of your servants(CN) is found to have it, he will die;(CO) and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.(CP)”
10 “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it(CQ) will become my slave;(CR) the rest of you will be free from blame.”(CS)
11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward(CT) proceeded to search,(CU) beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest.(CV) And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.(CW) 13 At this, they tore their clothes.(CX) Then they all loaded their donkeys(CY) and returned to the city.
14 Joseph was still in the house(CZ) when Judah(DA) and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.(DB) 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done?(DC) Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?(DD)”
16 “What can we say to my lord?(DE)” Judah(DF) replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence?(DG) God has uncovered your servants’(DH) guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves(DI)—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.(DJ)”
17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing!(DK) Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave.(DL) The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”(DM)
18 Then Judah(DN) went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,(DO) let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry(DP) with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants,(DQ) ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’(DR) 20 And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age.(DS) His brother is dead,(DT) and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’(DU)
21 “Then you said to your servants,(DV) ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’(DW) 22 And we said to my lord,(DX) ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’(DY) 23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’(DZ) 24 When we went back to your servant my father,(EA) we told him what my lord(EB) had said.(EC)
25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’(ED) 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.’(EE)
27 “Your servant my father(EF) said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.(EG) 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.”(EH) And I have not seen him since.(EI) 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave(EJ) in misery.’(EK)
30 “So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father,(EL) and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life,(EM) 31 sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die.(EN) Your servants(EO) will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave(EP) 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!’(EQ)
33 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave(ER) in place of the boy,(ES) 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(ET) that would come on my father.”(EU)
Joseph Makes Himself Known
45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself(EV) before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!”(EW) So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept(EX) so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.(EY)
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”(EZ) But his brothers were not able to answer him,(FA) because they were terrified at his presence.(FB)
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”(FC) When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!(FD) 5 And now, do not be distressed(FE) and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,(FF) because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.(FG) 6 For two years now there has been famine(FH) 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(FI) on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.[b](FJ)
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.(FK) He made me father(FL) to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.(FM) 9 Now hurry(FN) 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.(FO) 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen(FP) and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.(FQ) 11 I will provide for you there,(FR) because five years of famine(FS) are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’(FT)
12 “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin,(FU) that it is really I who am speaking to you.(FV) 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt(FW) and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.(FX)”
14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin(FY) embraced him,(FZ) weeping. 15 And he kissed(GA) all his brothers and wept over them.(GB) Afterward his brothers talked with him.(GC)
16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,(GD) Pharaoh and all his officials(GE) were pleased.(GF) 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals(GG) and return to the land of Canaan,(GH) 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt(GI) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’(GJ)
19 “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts(GK) from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never mind about your belongings,(GL) because the best of all Egypt(GM) will be yours.’”
21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,(GN) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.(GO) 22 To each of them he gave new clothing,(GP) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels[c] of silver and five sets of clothes.(GQ) 23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys(GR) loaded with the best things(GS) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.(GT) 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”(GU)
25 So they went up out of Egypt(GV) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.(GW) 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”(GX) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.(GY) 27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts(GZ) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “I’m convinced!(HA) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”(HB)
Footnotes
- 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
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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