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Bereshis 43
Orthodox Jewish Bible
Bereshis 43
Orthodox Jewish Bible
43 And the ra’av (famine) was kaved (heavy, severe) in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the shever (grain) which they had brought out of Mitzrayim, then Avihem said unto them, Shuvu (return)! Buy for us a little ochel.
3 And Yehudah spoke unto him, saying, The ish did solemnly warn us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless achichem be with you.
4 If thou wilt send achinu (our brother) with us, we will go down and buy thee ochel;
5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down; for the ish said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, unless achichem be with you.
6 And Yisroel said, Why dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the ish whether ye had yet another ach (brother)?
7 And they said, The ish asked in detail about us and about our moledet (kindred), saying, Is Avichem yet alive? Have ye another ach? And we declared to him according to these words of [his inquiry]; could we certainly know that he would say, Bring down achichem?
8 And Yehudah said unto Yisroel Aviv, Send na’ar 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; of my yad shalt thou require an accounting for him; if I bring him not back unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame kol hayamim;
10 For if we had not delayed, surely now we had returned zeh pa’amayim (this second time).
11 And Yisroel Avihem said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of mizimerat HaAretz (the best fruits of the land) in your kelim (vessels), and carry down to the ish a minchah (present), a little balm, and a little devash (honey), nekhot (spices), loht (myrrh), batenim (pistachio nuts), and shekedim (almonds):
12 And take kesef mishneh (double money) in your yad; and the kesef that was returned in the mouth of your sacks, carry it back in your yad; perhaps it was mishgeh (mistake);
13 Take also achichem, and arise, shuvu (return) unto the ish;
14 And El Shaddai give you rachamim before the ish, that he may send away achichem acher (your other brother), and Binyamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15 And the anashim took that minchah, and they took mishneh kesef (double money) in their yad and Binyamin; and rose up, and went down to Mitzrayim, and stood before Yosef.
16 And when Yosef saw Binyamin with them, he said to the ish over Bais Yosef, Bring these anashim home, and slaughter the tevach, and make ready; for these anashim shall dine with me at tzahorayim (noon).
17 And the ish did as Yosef said; and the ish brought the anashim to the house of Yosef.
18 And the anashim were afraid, because they were brought into Bais Yosef; and they said, Because of the kesef 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 seize us for avadim, and chamoreinu (our donkeys).
19 And they came near to the ish over Bais Yosef, and they spoke with him at the petach habayit,
20 And said, O adoni, we came indeed down at the first time to buy ochel:
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the malon, that we opened our sacks, and, hinei, kesef ish (every man’s money) was in the mouth of his sack, our kesef in full weight; and we have brought it back again in our yad.
22 And kesef acher (other money) have we brought down in our hands to buy ochel; we cannot tell who put our kesef in our sacks.
23 And he said, Shalom lachem, fear not; Eloheichem, and Elohei Avichem, hath given you matmon (treasure) in your sacks; I had your kesef. And he brought Shimon out unto them.
24 And the ish brought the anashim into the house of Yosef, and gave them mayim, and they washed their raglayim; and he gave their chamorim mispo (fodder).
25 And they made ready the minchah for bo Yosef (coming of Yosef) at tzahorayim; for they heard that they would eat lechem there.
26 And when Yosef came home, they presented him the minchah which was in their yad in the house, and prostrated themselves to the ground before him.
27 And he asked them l’shalom (about their welfare), and said, Is there shalom with avichem, the zaken of whom ye spoke? Is he still alive?
28 And they answered, There is shalom with thy eved avinu; he is still alive. And they bowed their heads, and prostrated themselves.
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw achiv Binyamin, ben immo, and said, Is this achichem hakaton (your younger brother), of whom ye spoke unto me? And he said, Elohim be gracious unto thee, beni.
30 And Yosef made haste; for his compassion was stirred upon achiv (his brother); and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his cheder, and wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and went out, and controlled himself, and said, Serve lechem.
32 And they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Mitzrim (Egyptians), which did eat with him, by themselves; because Mitzrim could not eat lechem with the Ivrim; for that is a to’evah (abomination) unto the Mitzrim.
33 And they sat before him, the bechor according to his bechorah (birthright), and the youngest according to his youth; and the anashim marvelled one with another.
34 And he took and sent masot (portions) unto them from before him; but masat Binyamin was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank, and feasted with him.
Genesis 43
New International Version
Genesis 43
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.
Footnotes
- Genesis 43:14 Hebrew El-Shaddai
Genesis 43
International Standard Version
Genesis 43
International Standard Version
Preparing to Return to Egypt
43 Meanwhile, the famine remained severe throughout the region. 2 As a result, when Jacob’s family[a] was beginning to eat the last of the grain that they had brought back from Egypt, their father Jacob[b] told his sons, “Go back to Egypt and buy us some food.”
3 But Judah reminded him, “The man distinctly warned us: ‘You’ll never see my face unless your brother comes with you.’ 4 So if you send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy some food. 5 But if you don’t send him, we’re not going, because the man told us, ‘You’ll never see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Israel replied, “Why did you make all this trouble by telling the man that you have another brother?”
7 “The man specifically asked about us and our relatives,” they responded. “He asked us, ‘Is your father still alive?’ and ‘Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we have known that he would tell us to bring our brother back with us?”
8 “Send the young man with me,” Judah told his father Israel, “and we’ll get up and go so we can survive and not die—and that includes all of us, you and our families.[c] 9 I’ll even offer myself to guarantee that I’ll be responsible for him. If I don’t bring him back and present him to you, I’ll personally bear the consequences forever. 10 After all, if we hadn’t delayed, we could have been there and back[d] twice by now!”
Jacob Gives Instructions for the Trip
11 “If that’s the way it has to be,” their father Israel replied, “then do this: take some of the best produce of the land in your containers and take them to the man as a gift—some resin ointment, some honey, fragrant resins, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds. 12 Also take twice as much money with you so you can return the money that had been replaced in the mouth of your sacks. Maybe it was an accounting[e] mistake on his part. 13 And be sure to take your brother, too. So get up, return to the man, 14 and may God Almighty cause the man to show compassion toward you. May he send all of you back, including your other brother and Benjamin. Now as for me, if I lose my children, I lose them.”
15 So the men took their gift and twice as much money, got up, took Benjamin with them, and set out for Egypt. Eventually they appeared before Joseph.
Joseph Sees Benjamin
16 As soon as Joseph noticed that Benjamin had come with them, he ordered his palace manager, “Bring the men into the palace.[f] Slaughter an animal and prepare it, because these men will be dining with me for lunch.”[g] 17 So the man did what Joseph had ordered, and brought the men to Joseph’s palace.
18 The men were terrified as they were being taken to Joseph’s palace. “It’s because of that money that was returned to our sacks the first time we were brought to him,” they reasoned. “He’s seeking an excuse to attack us, enslave us, and confiscate our donkeys!”
19 So they approached Joseph’s palace manager and talked with him at the palace entrance. 20 “Your Excellency,” they said, “The first time we came here to buy food, 21 when we arrived at our overnight lodging place, we opened our sacks and discovered each man’s money was still in the mouth of his sack. All of our money was there! We’ve brought it back with us in full. 22 We’ve also brought along some more money to buy supplies, but we don’t know who put our money back into our sacks.”
23 “Relax,” the manager said. “You can stop being afraid, now. Your God, the God of your father, has placed hidden treasure within those sacks for you. I’ve been paid in full.” Then he brought Simeon out to them, 24 ushered the men into Joseph’s palace, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided[h] fodder for their donkeys. 25 Then off he went to prepare the honorary meal that was to be made ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon, since they had been informed that they were going to be eating there.
Joseph Inquires about His Family
26 When Joseph arrived at his palace, his brothers[i] brought to him their gifts that they had carried with them and bowed to the ground in front of him.
27 Joseph asked them how they had been doing. “Is your father well, the older gentleman about whom you spoke?” he inquired. “Is he still alive?”
28 “Your servant, our father, is doing well,” they replied. “He is still alive.” Then they bowed down in humility.
29 As Joseph looked up and recognized his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother about whom you spoke to me?” And he addressed him directly, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”[j]
30 At this, Joseph hurried out, deeply moved because of his brother, and looked for a place to weep by himself. He entered his personal quarters, wept there awhile,[k] 31 then washed his face and came out. Barely controlling himself, he ordered his staff to serve the meal.
32 Joseph’s staff[l] served him by himself, his brothers[m] separately, and the Egyptian staff members by themselves, because the Egyptians wouldn’t take their meal with the Hebrews, since doing so was detestable for the Egyptians. 33 Meanwhile, the brothers[n] were seated in front of Joseph in birth order, from firstborn to youngest. The men stared at one another in astonishment. 34 Joseph[o] himself brought portions to them from his own table, except that he provided to Benjamin five times as much as he did for each of the others. So they feasted together and drank freely with Joseph.[p]
Footnotes
- Genesis 43:2 Lit. As they
- Genesis 43:2 The Heb. lacks Jacob
- Genesis 43:8 Lit our defenseless ones; i.e. their wives and children
- Genesis 43:10 Lit. have returned
- Genesis 43:12 The Heb. lacks accounting
- Genesis 43:16 Lit. house, and so through v. 26
- Genesis 43:16 Or me at midday; i.e. at noon
- Genesis 43:24 The Heb. lacks provided
- Genesis 43:26 Lit. palace, they
- Genesis 43:29 Or you, Benny; i.e., perhaps a nickname for Joseph’s brother Benjamin
- Genesis 43:30 The Heb. lacks awhile
- Genesis 43:32 Lit. They
- Genesis 43:32 Lit. and them
- Genesis 43:33 Lit. they
- Genesis 43:34 Lit. He
- Genesis 43:34 Lit. him
Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
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International Standard Version (ISV) 
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