Genesis 42:22-43:14

New International Version

²² Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?^(A) But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting^(B) for his blood.”^{(C) 23} They did not realize^(D) that Joseph could understand them,^(E) since he was using an interpreter.

²⁴ He turned away from them and began to weep,^(F) but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.^(G)

²⁵ Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain,^(H) to put each man’s silver back in his sack,^(I) and to give them provisions^(J) for their journey.^(K) After this was done for them, ²⁶ they loaded their grain on their donkeys^(L) and left.

²⁷ At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey,^(M) and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack.^{(N) 28} “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”

Their hearts sank^(O) and they turned to each other trembling^(P) and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”^(Q)

²⁹ When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan,^(R) they told him all that had happened to them.^(S) They said, ³⁰ “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us^(T) and treated us as though we were spying on the land.^{(U) 31} But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.^{(V) 32} We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’^(W)

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.^{(X) 34} But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men.^(Y) Then I will give your brother back to you,^(Z) and you can trade^[a] in the land.^(AA)’”

³⁵ As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver!^(AB) When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened.^{(AC) 36} Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more,^(AD) and now you want to take Benjamin.^(AE) Everything is against me!^(AF)”

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,^(AG) and I will bring him back.”^(AH)

³⁸ But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead^(AI) and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him^(AJ) on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave^(AK) in sorrow.^(AL)”

The Second Journey to Egypt

43 Now the famine was still severe in the land.^{(AM) 2} So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt,^(AN) their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”^(AO)

³ But Judah^(AP) said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’^{(AQ) 4} If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you.^{(AR) 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.^(AS)’”

⁶ Israel^(AT) asked, “Why did you bring this trouble^(AU) 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?’^(AV) he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’^(AW) We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”^(AX)

⁸ Then Judah^(AY) said to Israel^(AZ) 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.^{(BA) 9} I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him.^(BB) If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame^(BC) before you all my life.^{(BD) 10} As it is, if we had not delayed,^(BE) we could have gone and returned twice.”

¹¹ Then their father Israel^(BF) said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products^(BG) of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift^(BH)—a little balm^(BI) and a little honey, some spices^(BJ) and myrrh,^(BK) some pistachio nuts and almonds. ¹² Take double the amount^(BL) of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks.^(BM) Perhaps it was a mistake. ¹³ Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.^{(BN) 14} And may God Almighty^[b](BO) grant you mercy^(BP) before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you.^(BQ) As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”^(BR)