Genesis 43
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 43
The Second Journey to Egypt.[a] 1 Now the famine in the land grew severe. 2 So when they had used up all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.” 3 But Judah replied: “The man strictly warned us, ‘You shall not see me unless your brother is with you.’(A) 4 If you are willing to let our brother go with us, we will go down to buy food for you. 5 But if you are not willing, we will not go down, because the man told us, ‘You shall not see me unless your brother is with you.’”(B) 6 Israel demanded, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man that you had another brother?” 7 They answered: “The man kept asking about us and our family: ‘Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?’ We answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”
8 Then Judah urged his father Israel: “Let the boy go with me, that we may be off and on our way if you and we and our children are to keep from starving to death.(C) 9 I myself will serve as a guarantee for him. You can hold me responsible for him. If I fail to bring him back and set him before you, I will bear the blame before you forever.(D) 10 Had we not delayed, we could have been there and back twice by now!”
11 Israel their father then told them: “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the land’s best products in your baggage and take them down to the man as gifts: some balm and honey, gum and resin, and pistachios and almonds.(E) 12 Also take double the money along, for you must return the amount that was put back in the mouths of your bags; it may have been a mistake. 13 Take your brother, too, and be off on your way back to the man. 14 May God Almighty grant you mercy in the presence of the man, so that he may let your other brother go, as well as Benjamin. As for me, if I am to suffer bereavement, I shall suffer it.”
15 So the men took those gifts and double the money and Benjamin. They made their way down to Egypt and presented themselves before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw them and Benjamin, he told his steward, “Take the men into the house, and have an animal slaughtered and prepared, for they are to dine with me at noon.” 17 Doing as Joseph had ordered, the steward conducted the men to Joseph’s house. 18 But they became apprehensive when they were led to his house. “It must be,” they thought, “on account of the money put back in our bags the first time, that we are taken inside—in order to attack us and take our donkeys and seize us as slaves.” 19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward and talked to him at the entrance of the house. 20 “If you please, sir,” they said, “we came down here once before to buy food.(F) 21 But when we arrived at a night’s encampment and opened our bags, there was each man’s money in the mouth of his bag—our money in the full amount! We have now brought it back.(G) 22 We have brought other money to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our bags.” 23 He replied, “Calm down! Do not fear! Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags for you. As for your money, I received it.” With that, he led Simeon out to them.
24 The steward then brought the men inside Joseph’s house. He gave them water to wash their feet, and gave fodder to their donkeys. 25 Then they set out their gifts to await Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to dine there. 26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, while they bowed down before him to the ground. 27 After inquiring how they were, he asked them, “And how is your aged father, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”(H) 28 “Your servant our father is still alive and doing well,” they said, as they knelt and bowed down. 29 Then Joseph looked up and saw Benjamin, his brother, the son of his mother. He asked, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told me?” Then he said to him, “May God be gracious to you, my son!”(I) 30 With that, Joseph hurried out, for he was so overcome with affection for his brother that he was on the verge of tears. So he went into a private room and wept there.
31 After washing his face, he reappeared and, now having collected himself, gave the order, “Serve the meal.” 32 It was served separately to him,[b] to the brothers, and to the Egyptians who partook of his board. Egyptians may not eat with Hebrews; that is abhorrent to them. 33 When they were seated before him according to their age, from the oldest to the youngest, they looked at one another in amazement; 34 and as portions were brought to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as large as[c] anyone else’s. So they drank freely and made merry with him.
Footnotes
- 43:1–34 The second journey to Egypt. Joseph the sage has carefully prepared the brothers for a possible reconciliation. In this chapter and the following one Judah steps forward as the hero, in contrast to chaps. 37 and 42 where Reuben was the hero. Here Judah serves as guarantee for Benjamin.
- 43:32 Separately to him: that Joseph did not eat with the other Egyptians was apparently a matter of rank.
- 43:34 Five times as large as: probably an idiomatic expression for “much larger than.” Cf. 45:22.
Genesis 43
New King James Version
Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin
43 Now the famine was (A)severe in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go (B)back, buy us a little food.”
3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your (C)brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send 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 And Israel said, “Why did you deal so [a]wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”
7 But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may (D)live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. (E)If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”
11 And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and (F)carry down a present for the man—a little (G)balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money (H)that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And may God (I)Almighty (J)give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. (K)If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”
15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went (L)down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the (M)steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter [b]an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.” 17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18 Now the men were (N)afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may [c]make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”
19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “O sir, (O)we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21 but (P)it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23 But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought (Q)Simeon out to them.
24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and (R)gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and (S)bowed down before him to the earth. 27 Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man (T)of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” (U)And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.
29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, (V)his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother (W)of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Now (X)his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and (Y)wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the (Z)bread.”
32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the (AA)Hebrews, for that is (AB)an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his (AC)birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was (AD)five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 43:6 Lit. wickedly
- Genesis 43:16 Lit. a slaughter
- Genesis 43:18 Lit. roll himself upon us
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
