Genesis 43:1–14

Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin

43Now the famine was ^asevere in the land. ²And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go ^bback, buy us a little food.”

³But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your ^cbrother is with you.’ ⁴If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. ⁵But 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.’ ”

⁶And Israel said, “Why did you deal so ¹wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”

⁷But 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’?”

⁸Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may ^dlive 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. ^eIf I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. ¹⁰For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”

¹¹And 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 ^fcarry down a present for the man—a little ^gbalm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. ¹²Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money ^hthat was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. ¹³Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. ¹⁴And may God ⁱAlmighty ^jgive you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. ^kIf I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”