BERESHITH (GENESIS) 43

Gen 43:1 But the scarcity of food was severe in the land.
Gen 43:2 And it came to be, when they had eaten up the grain which they had
brought from Mitsrayim, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a
little food.”
Gen 43:3 But Yehuḏah spoke to him, saying, “The man vehemently warned
us, saying, ‘You do not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”
Gen 43:4 “If you let our brother go with us, we go down and buy you food.
Gen 43:5 “But if you do not let him go, we do not go down, because the man
said to us, ‘You do not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”
Gen 43:6 And Yisra’ĕl said, “Why did you do evil to me to inform the man
that you still had another brother?”
Gen 43:7 And they said, “The man kept asking about us and our relatives,
saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we
informed him according to these words. How could we know that he would
say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
Gen 43:8 And Yehuḏah said to Yisra’ĕl his father, “Send the boy with me,
and let us arise and go, and live and not die, both we and you and also our
little ones.
Gen 43:9 “I myself shall stand guaranty for him – from my hand you are to
require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let
me bear the blame forever.
Gen 43:10 “For if we had not delayed, truly by now we could have returned
this second time.”
Gen 43:11 And their father Yisra’ĕl said to them, “If so, then do this: Take
some of the best fruit of the land in your vessels and bring a present down for
the man, a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds.
Gen 43:12 “And take double silver in your hand, and take back in your hand
the silver that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. It could have been a
mistake.
Gen 43:13 “And take your brother, and arise, go back to the man.
Gen 43:14 “And Ĕl Shaddai give to you compassion before the man, so that
he shall release your other brother and Binyamin. And I, if I am bereaved, I
am bereaved!”
Gen 43:15 And the men took that present and Binyamin, and they took
double the amount of silver in their hand, and arose and went down to
Mitsrayim, and stood before Yosĕph.
Gen 43:16 And Yosĕph saw Binyamin with them, and said to the one over
his house, “Bring the men home, and make a great slaughter, and prepare, for
these men are to eat with me at noon.”
Gen 43:17 And the man did as Yosĕph said, and the man brought the men
into Yosĕph’s house.
Gen 43:18 And the men were afraid because they were brought into
Yosĕph’s house. And they said, “It is because of the silver, which was put
back into our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, to throw himself
upon us and fall upon us, to take us as slaves, our donkeys too.”
Gen 43:19 So they came near to the man over the house of Yosĕph, and
spoke to him at the door of the house,
Gen 43:20 and said, “O my master, we indeed came down the first time to
buy food,
Gen 43:21 but it came to be, when we came to the lodging place, that we
opened our sacks and saw each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack, our
silver in its weight. And we have brought it back in our hand.
Gen 43:22 “And we have brought down other silver in our hands to buy
food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
Gen 43:23 But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your Elohim
and the Elohim of your father has given you treasure in your sacks – your
silver had come to me!” And he brought Shim‛on out to them.
Gen 43:24 And the man brought the men into Yosĕph’s house and gave them
water, and they washed their feet. And he gave their donkeys fodder.
Gen 43:25 And they made the present ready for Yosĕph’s coming at noon,
for they heard that they were to eat there.
Gen 43:26 And when Yosĕph came home, they brought him the present
which was in their hand, into the house, and bowed down before him to the
earth.
Gen 43:27 And he asked them about their welfare, and said, “Is your father
well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
Gen 43:28 And they said, “Your servant our father is in good health, he is
still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and did obeisance.
Gen 43:29 And he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Binyamin, his
mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to
me?” And he said, “Elohim show favour to you, my son.”
Gen 43:30 And Yosĕph hurried, for his emotions were deeply moved
towards his brother, and he looked for a place to weep, and went into his
room and wept there.
Gen 43:31 Then he washed his face and came out, and controlled himself,
and said, “Serve the food.”
Gen 43:32 And they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and
the Mitsrites who ate with him by themselves, for the Mitsrites could not eat
food with the Heḇrews, for that is an abomination to the Mitsrites.
Gen 43:33 And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright
and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at each other in
astonishment.
Gen 43:34 And he took portions to them from before him, but Binyamin’s
portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they feasted and they
drank with him.