1And the famine was heavy in the land.2And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain that they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Return, buy us a little food."3And Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"4If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.5But if you do not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.'6And Israel said, "Why have you dealt so ill with me as to tell the man that you still have another brother?"7And they said, "The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and about our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' And we answered him according to these words. How could we know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"8And Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy with me, and let us arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.9I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him to you and set him before you, then I shall have sinned against you all the days.10For if we had not delayed, we would by now have returned a second time."11And Israel their father said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best produce of the land in your vessels and carry down to the man a present, a little balm and a little honey, gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.12And take double the silver in your hand, and return the silver that was put back in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.13Take also your brother, and arise and return to the man.14And may El, the Almighty, grant you mercy before the man, so that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."15So the men took the present, and they took double the silver in their hand, and Benjamin, and they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to eat with me at noon."17And the man did as Joseph had said, and he brought the men into Joseph's house.18And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house, and they said, "It is because of the silver that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are brought in, that he may fall upon us and make us servants, and seize our donkeys."19So they approached the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the entrance of the house.20And they said, "Oh my lord, we came down at the first to buy food.21And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's silver was in the mouth of his sack, our silver in full weight; and we have brought it back in our hand.22We have also brought down other silver in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks."23And he said, "Peace to you; do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; your silver came to me." And he brought Simeon out to them.24Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder for their donkeys.25And they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they were to eat food there.26When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that was in their hand, and they bowed down to him to the ground.27And he asked them about their welfare and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"28And they said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And they bowed down and prostrated themselves.29And Joseph lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and he said, "Is this your younger brother, of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son."30Then Joseph hurried out, because his compassion was stirred for his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there.31After he had washed his face, he came out and controlled himself and said, "Serve the food."32They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in astonishment.34And he took portions from before him to them, and Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs; and they drank and were merry with him.