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.

Psalm 5^[a]

For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands.^{(A) 16} And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate^(B) to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth.^(C) The world cannot accept him,^(D) because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans;^(E) I will come to you.^{(F) 19} Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.^(G) Because I live, you also will live.^{(H) 20} On that day^(I) you will realize that I am in my Father,^(J) and you are in me, and I am in you.^{(K) 21} Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.^(L) The one who loves me will be loved by my Father,^(M) and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

²² Then Judas^(N) (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”^(O)

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.^(P) My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.^{(Q) 24} Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.^(R)

²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate,^(S) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,^(T) will teach you all things^(U) and will remind you of everything I have said to you.^{(V) 27} Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.^(W) I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled^(X) and do not be afraid.

²⁸ “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’^(Y) If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father,^(Z) for the Father is greater than I.^{(AA) 29} I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.^{(AB) 30} I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world^(AC) is coming. He has no hold over me, ³¹ but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.^(AD)

“Come now; let us leave.

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am^(AE) the true vine,^(AF) and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,^(AG) while every branch that does bear fruit^(AH) he prunes^[b] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.^{(AI) 4} Remain in me, as I also remain in you.^(AJ) No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;^(AK) apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.^{(AL) 7} If you remain in me^(AM) and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.^{(AN) 8} This is to my Father’s glory,^(AO) that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.^(AP)

⁹ “As the Father has loved me,^(AQ) so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands,^(AR) you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.^{(AS) 12} My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.^{(AT) 13} Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.^{(AU) 14} You are my friends^(AV) if you do what I command.^{(AW) 15} I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.^{(AX) 16} You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you^(AY) so that you might go and bear fruit^(AZ)—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.^{(BA) 17} This is my command: Love each other.^(BB)