web Genesis:42-45 SEEK
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Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt ,
and Jacob said to his sons , "
Why do you look at one another ?"
*
He said , "
Behold ,
I have heard that there is grain in Egypt .
Go down there ,
and buy for us from there ,
so that we may live ,
and not die ."
*
Joseph '
s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt .
*
But Jacob didn '
t send Benjamin ,
Joseph '
s brother ,
with his brothers ;
for he said , "
Lest perhaps harm happen to him ."
*
The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came ,
for the famine was in the land of Canaan .
*
Joseph was the governor over the land .
It was he who sold to all the people of the land .
Joseph '
s brothers came ,
and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth .
*
Joseph saw his brothers ,
and he recognized them ,
but acted like a stranger to them ,
and spoke roughly with them .
He said to them , "
Where did you come from ?"
They said , "
From the land of Canaan to buy food ."
*
Joseph recognized his brothers ,
but they didn '
t recognize him .
*
Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them ,
and said to them , "
You are spies !
You have come to see the nakedness of the land ."
*
They said to him , "
No ,
my lord ,
but your servants have come to buy food .
*
We are all one man '
s sons ;
we are honest men .
Your servants are not spies ."
*
He said to them , "
No ,
but you have come to see the nakedness of the land !"
*
They said , "
We ,
your servants ,
are twelve brothers ,
the sons of one man in the land of Canaan ;
and behold ,
the youngest is this day with our father ,
and one is no more ."
*
Joseph said to them , "
It is like I told you ,
saying , '
You are spies !'
*
By this you shall be tested .
By the life of Pharaoh ,
you shall not go out from here ,
unless your youngest brother comes here .
*
Send one of you ,
and let him get your brother ,
and you shall be bound ,
that your words may be tested ,
whether there is truth in you ,
or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies ."
*
He put them all together into custody for three days .
*
Joseph said to them the third day , "
Do this ,
and live ,
for I fear God .
*
If you are honest men ,
then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison ;
but you go ,
carry grain for the famine of your houses .
*
Bring your youngest brother to me ;
so will your words be verified ,
and you won '
t die ."
They did so .
*
They said one to another , "
We are certainly guilty concerning our brother ,
in that we saw the distress of his soul ,
when he begged us ,
and we wouldn '
t listen .
Therefore this distress has come upon us ."
*
Reuben answered them ,
saying , "
Didn '
t I tell you ,
saying , '
Don '
t sin against the child ,'
and you wouldn '
t listen ?
Therefore also ,
behold ,
his blood is required ."
*
They didn '
t know that Joseph understood them ;
for there was an interpreter between them .
*
He turned himself away from them ,
and wept .
Then he returned to them ,
and spoke to them ,
and took Simeon from among them ,
and bound him before their eyes .
*
Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain ,
and to restore each man '
s money into his sack ,
and to give them food for the way .
So it was done to them .
*
They loaded their donkeys with their grain ,
and departed from there .
*
As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place ,
he saw his money .
Behold ,
it was in the mouth of his sack .
*
He said to his brothers , "
My money is restored !
Behold ,
it is in my sack !"
Their hearts failed them ,
and they turned trembling one to another ,
saying , "
What is this that God has done to us ?"
*
They came to Jacob their father ,
to the land of Canaan ,
and told him all that had happened to them ,
saying ,
* "
The man ,
the lord of the land ,
spoke roughly with us ,
and took us for spies of the country .
*
We said to him , '
We are honest men .
We are no spies .
*
We are twelve brothers ,
sons of our father ;
one is no more ,
and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan .'
*
The man ,
the lord of the land ,
said to us , '
By this I will know that you are honest men :
leave one of your brothers with me ,
and take grain for the famine of your houses ,
and go your way .
*
Bring your youngest brother to me .
Then I will know that you are not spies ,
but that you are honest men .
So I will deliver your brother to you ,
and you shall trade in the land .'"
*
It happened as they emptied their sacks ,
that behold ,
each man '
s bundle of money was in his sack .
When they and their father saw their bundles of money ,
they were afraid .
*
Jacob ,
their father ,
said to them , "
You have bereaved me of my children !
Joseph is no more ,
Simeon is no more ,
and you want to take Benjamin away .
All these things are against me ."
*
Reuben spoke to his father ,
saying , "
Kill my two sons ,
if I don '
t bring him to you .
Entrust him to my care ,
and I will bring him to you again ."
*
He said , "
My son shall not go down with you ;
for his brother is dead ,
and he only is left .
If harm happens to him along the way in which you go ,
then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol {
Sheol is the place of the dead .}."
*
The famine was severe in the land .
*
It happened ,
when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt ,
their father said to them , "
Go again ,
buy us a little more food ."
*
Judah spoke to him ,
saying , "
The man solemnly warned us ,
saying , '
You shall not see my face ,
unless your brother is with you .'
*
If you '
ll send our brother with us ,
we '
ll go down and buy you food ,
*
but if you '
ll not send him ,
we '
ll not go down ,
for the man said to us , '
You shall not see my face ,
unless your brother is with you .'"
*
Israel said , "
Why did you treat me so badly ,
telling the man that you had another brother ?"
*
They said , "
The man asked directly concerning ourselves ,
and concerning our relatives ,
saying , '
Is your father still alive ?
Have you another brother ?'
We just answered his questions .
Is there any way we could know that he would say , '
Bring your brother down ?'"
*
Judah said to Israel ,
his father , "
Send the boy with me ,
and we '
ll get up and go ,
so that we may live ,
and not die ,
both we ,
and you ,
and also our little ones .
*
I '
ll be collateral for him .
From my hand will you require him .
If I don '
t bring him to you ,
and set him before you ,
then let me bear the blame forever ,
*
for if we hadn '
t delayed ,
surely we would have returned a second time by now ."
*
Their father ,
Israel ,
said to them , "
If it must be so ,
then do this .
Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags ,
and carry down a present for the man ,
a little balm ,
a little honey ,
spices and myrrh ,
nuts ,
and almonds ;
*
and take double money in your hand ,
and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks .
Perhaps it was an oversight .
*
Take your brother also ,
get up ,
and return to the man .
*
May God Almighty give you mercy before the man ,
that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin .
If I am bereaved of my children ,
I am bereaved ."
*
The men took that present ,
and they took double money in their hand ,
and Benjamin ;
and got up ,
went down to Egypt ,
and stood before Joseph .
*
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them ,
he said to the steward of his house , "
Bring the men into the house ,
and butcher an animal ,
and prepare ;
for the men will dine with me at noon ."
*
The man did as Joseph commanded ,
and the man brought the men to Joseph '
s house .
*
The men were afraid ,
because they were brought to Joseph '
s house ;
and they said , "
Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time ,
we '
re brought in ;
that he may seek occasion against us ,
attack us ,
and seize us as slaves ,
along with our donkeys ."
*
They came near to the steward of Joseph '
s house ,
and they spoke to him at the door of the house ,
*
and said , "
Oh ,
my lord ,
we indeed came down the first time to buy food .
*
When we came to the lodging place ,
we opened our sacks ,
and behold ,
each man '
s money was in the mouth of his sack ,
our money in full weight .
We have brought it back in our hand .
*
We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food .
We don '
t know who put our money in our sacks ."
*
He said , "
Peace be to you .
Don '
t be afraid .
Your God ,
and the God of your father ,
has given you treasure in your sacks .
I received your money ."
He brought Simeon out to them .
*
The man brought the men into Joseph '
s house ,
and gave them water ,
and they washed their feet .
He gave their donkeys fodder .
*
They prepared the present for Joseph '
s coming at noon ,
for they heard that they should eat bread there .
*
When Joseph came home ,
they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house ,
and bowed themselves down to him to the earth .
*
He asked them of their welfare ,
and said , "
Is your father well ,
the old man of whom you spoke ?
Is he yet alive ?"
*
They said , "
Your servant ,
our father ,
is well .
He is still alive ."
They bowed down humbly .
*
He lifted up his eyes ,
and saw Benjamin ,
his brother ,
his mother '
s son ,
and said , "
Is this your youngest brother ,
of whom you spoke to me ?"
He said , "
God be gracious to you ,
my son ."
*
Joseph hurried ,
for his heart yearned over his brother ;
and he sought a place to weep .
He entered into his room ,
and wept there .
*
He washed his face ,
and came out .
He controlled himself ,
and said , "
Serve the meal ."
*
They served him by himself ,
and them by themselves ,
and the Egyptians ,
that ate with him ,
by themselves ,
because the Egyptians don '
t eat bread with the Hebrews ,
for that is an abomination to the Egyptians .
*
They sat before him ,
the firstborn according to his birthright ,
and the youngest according to his youth ,
and the men marveled one with another .
*
He sent portions to them from before him ,
but Benjamin '
s portion was five times as much as any of theirs .
They drank ,
and were merry with him .
*
He commanded the steward of his house ,
saying , "
Fill the men '
s sacks with food ,
as much as they can carry ,
and put each man '
s money in his sack '
s mouth .
*
Put my cup ,
the silver cup ,
in the sack '
s mouth of the youngest ,
with his grain money ."
He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken .
*
As soon as the morning was light ,
the men were sent away ,
they and their donkeys .
*
When they had gone out of the city ,
and were not yet far off ,
Joseph said to his steward , "
Up ,
follow after the men .
When you overtake them ,
ask them , '
Why have you rewarded evil for good ?
*
Isn '
t this that from which my lord drinks ,
and by which he indeed divines ?
You have done evil in so doing .'"
*
He overtook them ,
and he spoke these words to them .
*
They said to him , "
Why does my lord speak such words as these ?
Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing !
*
Behold ,
the money ,
which we found in our sacks '
mouths ,
we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan .
How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord '
s house ?
*
With whomever of your servants it is found ,
let him die ,
and we also will be my lord '
s bondservants ."
*
He said , "
Now also let it be according to your words :
he with whom it is found will be my bondservant ;
and you will be blameless ."
*
Then they hurried ,
and each man took his sack down to the ground ,
and each man opened his sack .
*
He searched ,
beginning with the eldest ,
and ending at the youngest .
The cup was found in Benjamin '
s sack .
*
Then they tore their clothes ,
and each man loaded his donkey ,
and returned to the city .
*
Judah and his brothers came to Joseph '
s house ,
and he was still there .
They fell on the ground before him .
*
Joseph said to them , "
What deed is this that you have done ?
Don '
t you know that such a man as I can indeed divine ?"
*
Judah said , "
What will we tell my lord ?
What will we speak ?
Or how will we clear ourselves ?
God has found out the iniquity of your servants .
Behold ,
we are my lord '
s bondservants ,
both we ,
and he also in whose hand the cup is found ."
*
He said , "
Far be it from me that I should do so .
The man in whose hand the cup is found ,
he will be my bondservant ;
but as for you ,
go up in peace to your father ."
*
Then Judah came near to him ,
and said , "
Oh ,
my lord ,
please let your servant speak a word in my lord '
s ears ,
and don '
t let your anger burn against your servant ;
for you are even as Pharaoh .
*
My lord asked his servants ,
saying , '
Have you a father ,
or a brother ?'
*
We said to my lord , '
We have a father ,
an old man ,
and a child of his old age ,
a little one ;
and his brother is dead ,
and he alone is left of his mother ;
and his father loves him .'
*
You said to your servants , '
Bring him down to me ,
that I may set my eyes on him .'
*
We said to my lord , '
The boy can '
t leave his father :
for if he should leave his father ,
his father would die .'
*
You said to your servants , '
Unless your youngest brother comes down with you ,
you will see my face no more .'
*
It happened when we came up to your servant my father ,
we told him the words of my lord .
*
Our father said , '
Go again ,
buy us a little food .'
*
We said , '
We can '
t go down .
If our youngest brother is with us ,
then we will go down :
for we may not see the man '
s face ,
unless our youngest brother is with us .'
*
Your servant ,
my father ,
said to us , '
You know that my wife bore me two sons :
*
and the one went out from me ,
and I said , "
Surely he is torn in pieces ";
and I haven '
t seen him since .
*
If you take this one also from me ,
and harm happens to him ,
you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol {
Sheol is the place of the dead .}.'
*
Now therefore when I come to your servant my father ,
and the boy is not with us ;
since his life is bound up in the boy '
s life ;
*
it will happen ,
when he sees that the boy is no more ,
that he will die .
Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant ,
our father ,
with sorrow to Sheol {
Sheol is the place of the dead .}.
*
For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father ,
saying , '
If I don '
t bring him to you ,
then I will bear the blame to my father forever .'
*
Now therefore ,
please let your servant stay instead of the boy ,
a bondservant to my lord ;
and let the boy go up with his brothers .
*
For how will I go up to my father ,
if the boy isn '
t with me ?--
lest I see the evil that will come on my father ."
*
Then Joseph couldn '
t control himself before all those who stood before him ,
and he cried , "
Cause everyone to go out from me !"
No one else stood with him ,
while Joseph made himself known to his brothers .
*
He wept aloud .
The Egyptians heard ,
and the house of Pharaoh heard .
*
Joseph said to his brothers , "
I am Joseph !
Does my father still live ?"
His brothers couldn '
t answer him ;
for they were terrified at his presence .
*
Joseph said to his brothers , "
Come near to me ,
please ."
They came near . "
He said ,
I am Joseph ,
your brother ,
whom you sold into Egypt .
*
Now don '
t be grieved ,
nor angry with yourselves ,
that you sold me here ,
for God sent me before you to preserve life .
*
For these two years the famine has been in the land ,
and there are yet five years ,
in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest .
*
God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth ,
and to save you alive by a great deliverance .
*
So now it wasn '
t you who sent me here ,
but God ,
and he has made me a father to Pharaoh ,
lord of all his house ,
and ruler over all the land of Egypt .
*
Hurry ,
and go up to my father ,
and tell him , '
This is what your son Joseph says , "
God has made me lord of all Egypt .
Come down to me .
Don '
t wait .
*
You shall dwell in the land of Goshen ,
and you will be near to me ,
you ,
your children ,
your children '
s children ,
your flocks ,
your herds ,
and all that you have .
*
There I will nourish you ;
for there are yet five years of famine ;
lest you come to poverty ,
you ,
and your household ,
and all that you have ."'
*
Behold ,
your eyes see ,
and the eyes of my brother Benjamin ,
that it is my mouth that speaks to you .
*
You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt ,
and of all that you have seen .
You shall hurry and bring my father down here ."
*
He fell on his brother Benjamin '
s neck ,
and wept ,
and Benjamin wept on his neck .
*
He kissed all his brothers ,
and wept on them .
After that his brothers talked with him .
*
The report of it was heard in Pharaoh '
s house ,
saying , "
Joseph '
s brothers have come ."
It pleased Pharaoh well ,
and his servants .
*
Pharaoh said to Joseph , "
Tell your brothers , '
Do this .
Load your animals ,
and go ,
travel to the land of Canaan .
*
Take your father and your households ,
and come to me ,
and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt ,
and you will eat the fat of the land .'
*
Now you are commanded :
do this .
Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones ,
and for your wives ,
and bring your father ,
and come .
*
Also ,
don '
t concern yourselves about your belongings ,
for the good of all of the land of Egypt is yours ."
*
The sons of Israel did so .
Joseph gave them wagons ,
according to the commandment of Pharaoh ,
and gave them provision for the way .
*
He gave each one of them changes of clothing ,
but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing .
*
He sent the following to his father :
ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt ,
and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way .
*
So he sent his brothers away ,
and they departed .
He said to them , "
See that you don '
t quarrel on the way ."
*
They went up out of Egypt ,
and came into the land of Canaan ,
to Jacob their father .
*
They told him ,
saying , "
Joseph is still alive ,
and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt ."
His heart fainted ,
for he didn '
t believe them .
*
They told him all the words of Joseph ,
which he had said to them .
When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him ,
the spirit of Jacob ,
their father ,
revived .
*
Israel said , "
It is enough .
Joseph my son is still alive .
I will go and see him before I die ."
*
Israel traveled with all that he had ,
and came to Beersheba ,
and offered sacrifices to the God of his father ,
Isaac .