Genesis 43 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Brothers Return to Egypt

Now the famine^H7458 was heavy^H3515 in the land^H776.

Gen 43:2And it happened when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”

Gen 43:3

Gen 43:3Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’

Gen 43:4

Gen 43:4“If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.

Gen 43:5

Gen 43:5“But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

Gen 43:6

Gen 43:6Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly [fn]by telling the man whether you still had another brother?”

Gen 43:7

Gen 43:7But they said, “The man questioned particularly about us and our kin, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we told him concerning these things. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

Gen 43:8

Gen 43:8Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones.

Gen 43:9

Gen 43:9“I myself will be the guarantee for him; from my hand you may require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then [fn]I shall bear the sin before you all my days.

Gen 43:10

Gen 43:10“For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”

Gen 43:11

Then their father^H1 Israel^H3478 said^H559 to them, “If^H518 it must be so^H3651, then^H645 do^H6213 this^H2088: take^H3947 some^H4480 of the best^H2173 products^H2173 of the land^H776 in your [fn]bags^H3627, and bring^H3381 them down^H3381 to the man^H376 as a present^H4503, a little^H4592 [fn]balm^H6875 and a little^H4592 honey^H1706, [fn]aromatic^H5219 gum^H5219 and [fn]myrrh^H3910, pistachio^H992 nuts^H992 and almonds^H8247.

Gen 43:12

Gen 43:12“Now take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was put back in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.

Gen 43:13

Gen 43:13“And take your brother also, and arise, return to the man;

Gen 43:14

Gen 43:14and may [fn]God Almighty grant you compassion before the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

Gen 43:15

Gen 43:15So the men took this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Joseph Sees Benjamin

Gen 43:16

Then Joseph^H3130 saw^H7200 Benjamin^H1144 with them and said^H559 to his house^H1004 steward^H834^H5921, “Bring^H935 the men^H376 into the house^H1004, and slay^H2873 an animal^H2874 and prepare^H3559 it; for the men^H376 are to eat^H398 with me at noon^H6672.”

Gen 43:17

Gen 43:17So the man did as Joseph said and [fn]brought the men to Joseph’s house.

Gen 43:18

Gen 43:18And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may [fn]seek occasion against us and fall upon us and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”

Gen 43:19

Gen 43:19So they came near to Joseph’s house steward and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,

Gen 43:20

Gen 43:20and they said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food,

Gen 43:21

Gen 43:21and it happened when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in [fn]full. So we have brought it back in our hand.

Gen 43:22

Gen 43:22“We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

Gen 43:23

Gen 43:23And he said, “[fn]Be well, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; your money has come to me.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

Gen 43:24

Gen 43:24Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.

Gen 43:25

Gen 43:25So they prepared the present [fn]for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat [fn]a meal there.

Gen 43:26

Then Joseph^H3130 came^H935 home^H1004, and they brought^H935 into the house^H1004 to him the present^H4503 which^H834 was in their hand^H3027 and bowed^H2331 to the ground^H776 before him.

Gen 43:27

Gen 43:27And he asked them about their [fn]well-being and said, “Is your old father [fn]well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

Gen 43:28

Gen 43:28And they said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” They bowed down and prostrated themselves.

Gen 43:29

Gen 43:29Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son. And he said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

Gen 43:30

Gen 43:30And Joseph hurried out for [fn]he was deeply stirred with compassion over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there.

Gen 43:31

Gen 43:31Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself and said, “Set the [fn]meal.”

Gen 43:32

Gen 43:32So they set the meal for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

Gen 43:33

Gen 43:33And they [fn]were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

Gen 43:34

Gen 43:34And he took portions to them from [fn]his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times greater than any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.