Genesis 43
Expanded Bible
The Brothers Go Back to Egypt
43 ·Still no food grew in the land of Canaan [L The famine was heavy/severe in the land]. 2 When ·Jacob’s family [L they] had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, Jacob said to them, “Go to Egypt again and buy a little more ·grain [L food] for us to eat.”
3 But Judah said to Jacob, “The ·governor of that country [man] strongly warned us, ‘·If you don’t bring your brother back with you, you will not be allowed to see me [L You may not see my face unless your brother is with you].’ 4 If you will send ·Benjamin [L our brother] with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you ·refuse to send Benjamin [L are not sending], we will not go. The ·governor of that country [L man] ·warned [L said to] us that ·we would not see him if we didn’t bring Benjamin with us [L you will not see my face unless your brother is with you].”
6 Israel [C another name for Jacob; 32:28] said, “Why did you tell the man you had another brother? You have ·caused me a lot of trouble [wronged/harmed me].”
7 The brothers answered, “He questioned us ·carefully [or specifically] about ourselves and our family. He asked us, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We just answered his questions. How could we know he would ask us to bring our other brother to him?”
8 Then Judah said to his father ·Jacob [L Israel; 32:28], “Send ·Benjamin [L the lad/child] with me, and we will ·go at once [L rise up and go] so that we, you, and our ·children [little ones] may live and not die. 9 I will ·guarantee you that he will be safe [L be a guarantee for him], and I will be personally ·responsible [accountable] for him. If I don’t bring him back to you, ·you can blame me [L I will be condemned before you] all my life. 10 If we had not ·wasted all this time [been delayed], we could have already ·made two trips [returned twice].”
11 Then their father ·Jacob [L Israel; 32:28] said to them, “If it has to be that way, then do this: Take some of the best ·foods [products] in our land in your packs. Give them to the man as a gift: some balm, some honey, ·spices [or gum], ·myrrh [or resin], pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take twice as much ·money [silver] ·with you this time [L in your hands], and take back the ·money [silver] that was returned to you in [L the mouth of] your sacks last time. Maybe it was a ·mistake [L error; oversight]. 13 And take ·Benjamin [L your brother] with you. Now ·leave and go [L rise up and return] to the man. 14 I pray that God Almighty will cause the ·governor [L man] to be ·merciful to [compassionate toward] you and that he will allow ·Simeon [L your other brother] and Benjamin to come back with you. If I am ·robbed of my children [bereaved], then I am ·robbed of them [bereaved]!”
15 So the ·brothers [L men] took the ·gifts [or tribute]. They also took twice ·as much money as they had taken the first time [L the money/silver in their hand], and they took Benjamin. They ·hurried [L rose up and went] down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ·servant in charge of [L one over] his house, “Bring those men into my house. ·Kill [Slaughter] an animal and prepare a meal. Those men will eat with me today at noon.” 17 The ·servant [L man] did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.
18 The ·brothers [L men] were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house and thought, “We were brought here because of the money that was ·put [returned; replaced] in our sacks on the first trip. He wants to ·attack [L fall on] us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.” 19 So the brothers went to the ·servant in charge of [L one over] Joseph’s house and spoke to him at the ·door [entrance] of the house. 20 They said, “·Master [Lord], we came here ·once before [the first time] to buy food. 21 While we were going home, ·we stopped for the night and [L at the lodging place] when we opened our sacks each of us found all his ·money [silver in its weight] in his sack [42:26–28]. We brought that ·money [silver] ·with us to give it [L in our hands] back to you. 22 And we have brought ·more [additional] money to pay for the food we want to buy this time. We don’t know who put that money in our sacks.”
23 But the servant answered, “·It’s all right [L Peace be with you]. Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the ·money [silver; L treasure] in your sacks. I got the ·money [silver] you paid me for the grain last time.” Then the servant brought Simeon out to them.
24 The ·servant [L man] ·led [brought] the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave their donkeys ·food to eat [fodder]. 25 The men prepared their ·gift [tribute] to give to Joseph when he arrived at noon, because they had heard they were going to eat with him there.
26 When Joseph came home, the brothers gave him the ·gift [tribute] ·they had brought [L in their hand] into the house and bowed down to the ground in front of him. 27 Joseph asked them how they were doing. He said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 The brothers answered, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” And they bowed low ·before Joseph to show him respect [L and did obeisance].
29 When ·Joseph [L he lifted his eyes and] saw his brother Benjamin, ·who had the same mother as he [L the son of his mother], Joseph asked, “Is this your ·youngest [smallest] brother you told me about?” Then he said to Benjamin, “God be ·good [gracious] to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried off because he ·had to hold back the tears [L was overwhelmed with affection] when he saw his brother Benjamin. So Joseph went into his room and cried there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. He controlled himself and said, “Serve the meal.”
32 So they served Joseph ·at one table [L by himself], his brothers ·at another table [L by themselves], and the Egyptians who ate with him ·at another table [L by themselves]. ·This was because Egyptians did not like Hebrews and never ate with them [L For the Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for it was an abomination to the Egyptians]. 33 Joseph’s brothers were seated in front of him ·in order of their ages [L the firstborn according to his birthright], ·from oldest to youngest [L the youngest according to his youth]. They looked at each other because they were so amazed. 34 ·Food [Portions] from Joseph’s table was taken to them, but Benjamin was given five times more food than the others. Joseph’s brothers ate and ·drank freely [celebrated with drinking] with him.
Genesis 43
Lexham English Bible
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt
43 Now the famine in the land was severe. 2 And it happened that as they finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt their father said to them, “Return and buy a little food for us.” 3 Then Judah said to him, “The man solemnly admonished us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send[a] our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you, 5 but if you will not send[b] him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Then Israel said, “Why did you bring trouble to me by telling the man you still had a brother?” 7 And they said, “The man asked explicitly about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother?’ And we answered him according to these words. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring down your brother’?” 8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and let us arise and go, so that we will live and not die—you, we, and our children. 9 I myself will be surety for him. You may seek him from my hand. If I do not bring him back to you and present him before you, then I will stand guilty before you forever. 10 Surely if we had not hesitated by this time we would have returned twice.” 11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so then do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, and pistachios and almonds. 12 And take double the money in your hands. Take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 And take your brother. Now arise and return to the man. 14 And may El-Shaddai[c] grant you compassion before the man that he may release your other brother to you and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 So the men took this gift, and they took double money in their hands, and Benjamin, and they rose up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them he said to the one who was over his household, “Bring the men into the house and slaughter and prepare an animal, for the men shall eat with me at noon.” 17 And the man did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into the house of Joseph. 18 And the men were afraid when they were brought into the house of Joseph. And they said “We were brought here on account of the money that was returned to our sacks the first time, that he might attack us and fall upon us to take us as slaves with our donkeys.” 19 So they approached the man who was over Joseph’s house and spoke to him at the doorway of the house. 20 And they said, “Please, my lord, we surely came down once before to buy food, 21 but when we came to the place of lodging and we opened our sacks, then behold, each one’s money was in the mouth of his sack—our money in its full weight—so we have returned with it in our hands. 22 Now, other money we have brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 And he said, “Peace to you; do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have given you a treasure in your sacks; your money came to me.” And he brought Simeon out to them. 24 Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and he gave them water and washed their feet, and gave fodder to their donkeys. 25 Then they laid out[d] the gift until Joseph came at noon, for they had heard that they were to eat food there. 26 And when Joseph came into the house they brought the gift that was in their hand into the house to him, and they bowed down before him to the ground. 27 And he greeted them[e] and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 And they said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they knelt and bowed down. 29 Then he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, the son of his mother, and said, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you told me?” And he continued,[f] “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Then Joseph hurried away,[g] being overcome with emotion[h] toward his brother, and sought for a place to cry. Then he went into a room and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and went out, now controlling himself, and said, “Serve the food.” 32 And they served him[i] by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, for Egyptians could not dine[j] with Hebrews, because that was a detestable thing to Egyptians. 33 And they were seated before him from the firstborn according to his birthright to the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another[k] amazed. 34 And portions were served to them from his table,[l] and the portion of Benjamin was five times greater than the portion of any of them. And they drank and became drunk with him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 43:4 Literally “if there is a sending”
- Genesis 43:5 Literally “if there is no sending”
- Genesis 43:14 Often translated “God Almighty”
- Genesis 43:25 Or “prepared”
- Genesis 43:27 Literally “he asked peace for them”
- Genesis 43:29 Or “said”
- Genesis 43:30 Literally “made haste”
- Genesis 43:30 Literally “his compassion boiled up”
- Genesis 43:32 That is, Joseph
- Genesis 43:32 Literally “were not able to eat food”
- Genesis 43:33 Literally “each to his companion”
- Genesis 43:34 Literally “his presence”
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