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Genesis 43-44
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 43-44
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Decision to Return to Egypt
43 Now the famine in the land was severe.(A) 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.’”(B)
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![a] If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.(C) 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.(D) 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.”(E)
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,[b] “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[c] 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!(F) 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,(G) 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,(H) 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.(I) 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.(J) 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.(K) 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?[d] 5 Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination?(L) 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[e] found to have it, he must die, and we also will become my lord’s slaves.”(M)
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,(N) 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.(O) 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.[f] Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.(P) 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.(Q) 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.’(R) 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.’(S)
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.’(T) 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.(U) 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.’(V)
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.’(W) 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.”
Footnotes
- 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 43-44
New International Version
Genesis 43-44
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)
Footnotes
- Genesis 43:14 Hebrew El-Shaddai
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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