Bible (King James)/Genesis/Chapter 43

And the famine was ^[1] ſore in the land.

2 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.

3 And Judah ſpake unto him, ſaying, The man †† Heb. proteſting proteſted. did ſolemnly proteſt unto us ſaying, Ye ſhall not ſee my face, except your ^[2] brother be with you.

4 If thou wilt ſend our brother with us we will go down and buy thee food:

5 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.

6 And Iſrael ſaid, Wherefore dealt ye ſo ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

7 And they ſaid, The man †† Heb. aſking aſked us. 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 †† Heb. mouth. tenor of theſe words: †† Heb. Knowing could we know? could we certainly know that he would ſay, Bring your brother down?

8 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.

9 I will be ſurety for him; of my hand ſhalt thou require him: ^[3] 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 ‖‖ Or, twice by this. 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 ^[4] carry down the man a preſent, a little ^[5] balm, and a little honey, ſpices and myrrh, nuts and almonds:

12 And take double money in your hand; and the money ^[6] 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. ^[7] ‖‖ Or, and I, as I have been, &c. 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 ^[8] ruler of his houſe, Bring theſe men home, and †† Heb. kill a killing.
1 Sam. 25. 11. ſlay, and make ready; for theſe men ſhall †† Heb. eat. 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 †† Heb. roll himſelf up on us.
Job 30. 14. ſeek occaſion againſt us and fall upon us and take us for bondmen, and our aſſes.

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, ^[9] †† Heb. coming down we came down. we came indeed down at the firſt time to buy food:

21 And ^[10] 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: †† Heb. your money came to me. I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

24 And the man brought the men into Joſeph's houſe, and ^[11] 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 ^[12] bowed themſelves to him to the earth.

27 And he aſked them of their †† Heb. peace.
ch. 37. 14. welfare, ​and ſaid, †† Heb. Is there peace to your father? Is your father well, the old man ^[13] of whom ye ſpake? Is he yet alive?

28 And they anſwered, Thy ſervant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. ^[14] And they bowed down their heads and made obeiſance.

29 And he lifted up his eyes and ſaw his brother Benjamin, ^[15] his mother's ſon, and ſaid, Is this your younger brother, ^[16] of whom ye ſpake unto me? And he ſaid, God be gracious unto thee, my ſon.

30 And Joſeph made haſte; for ^[17] his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he ſought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and ^[18] wept there.

31 And he waſhed his face, and went out, and refrained himſelf, and ſaid, Set on ^[19] 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 ^[20] 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 ^[21] five times ſo much as any of theirs. And they drank, and †† Heb. drank largely:
See Hag. 1. 6.
John 2. 10. were merry with him.