# Genesis 43 (New King James Version)
Joseph's Brothers Return with Benjamin

##### Chapter 43
###### 1 Now the famine _was_ severe in the land.  
###### 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food."

###### 3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother _is_ with you.'  
###### 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.  
###### 5 But 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.' "

###### 6 And Israel said, "Why did you deal _so_ wrongfully with me _as_ to tell the man whether you had still _another_ brother?"

###### 7 But 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'?"

###### 8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you _and_ also our little ones.  
###### 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him _back_ to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.  
###### 10 For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time."

###### 11 And 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 carry down a present for the man--a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.  
###### 12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.  
###### 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man.  
###### 14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!"

###### 15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph.  
###### 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take _these_ men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for _these_ men will dine with me at noon."  
###### 17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

###### 18 Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, "_It is_ because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys."

###### 19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph's house, they talked with him at the door of the house,  
###### 20 and said, "O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food;  
###### 21 but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, _each_ man's money _was_ in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand.  
###### 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks."

###### 23 But he said, "Peace _be_ with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

###### 24 So the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave _them_ water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.  
###### 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.

###### 26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which _was_ in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth.  
###### 27 Then he asked them about _their_ well-being, and said, "_Is_ your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? _Is_ he still alive?"

###### 28 And they answered, "Your servant our father _is_ in good health; he _is_ still alive." And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.

###### 29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "_Is_ this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son."  
###### 30 Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought _somewhere_ to weep. And he went into _his_ chamber and wept there.  
###### 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, "Serve the bread."

###### 32 So they set him a place 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.  
###### 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another.  
###### 34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin's serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.