-
And the
famine was sore in the land.
02 And it came to pass, when they had eaten
up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt,
their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a
little food.
03 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The
man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye
shall not see my face, except your brother be
with you.
04 If thou wilt send our brother with us,
we will go down and buy thee food:
05 But if thou wilt not send him, we will
not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall
not see my face, except your brother be with you.
06 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so
ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had
yet a brother?
07 And they said, The man asked us straitly
of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your
father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we
told him according to the tenor of these words:
could we certainly know that he would say, Bring
your brother down?
08 And Judah said unto Israel his father,
Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go;
that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou,
and also our little ones.
09 I will be surety for him; of my hand
shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto
thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear
the blame for ever:
10 For except we had lingered, surely now
we had returned this second time.
11 And their father Israel said unto them,
If it must be so now, do this; take of the best
fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry
down the man a present, a little balm, and a
little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and
almonds:
12 And take double money in your hand; and
the money that was brought again in the mouth of
your sacks, carry it again in your hand;
peradventure it was an oversight:
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go
again unto the man:
14 And God Almighty give you mercy before
the man, that he may send away your other
brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my
children, I am bereaved.
15 And the men took that present, and they
took double money in their hand and Benjamin; and
rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before
Joseph.
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them,
he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these
men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men
shall dine with me at noon.
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the
man brought the men into Joseph's house.
18 And the men were afraid, because they
were brought into Joseph's house; and they said,
Because of the money that was returned in our
sacks at the first time are we brought in; that
he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon
us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
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19 And they came near to the steward of
Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the
door of the house,
20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at
the first time to buy food:
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the
inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every
man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our
money in full weight: and we have brought it
again in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought down in
our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our
money in our sacks.
23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not:
your God, and the God of your father, hath given
you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And
he brought Simeon out unto them.
24 And the man brought the men into
Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they
washed their feet; and he gave their asses
provender.
25 And they made ready the present against
Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they
should eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought
him the present which was in their hand into the
house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and
said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye
spake?
28 And they answered, Thy servant our
father is in good health, he is yet alive. And
they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his
brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is
this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto
me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my
son.
30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels
did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where
to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and
wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and went out,
and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32 And they set on for him by himself, and
for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians,
which did eat with him, by themselves: because
the Egyptians might not eat bread with the
Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the
Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn
according to his birthright, and the youngest
according to his youth: and the men marvelled one
at another.
34 And he took and sent messes unto them
from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five
times so much as any of their's. And they drank,
and were merry with him.
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