About Joseph's brothers taking Benjamin to Egypt

1The brothers stayed in Canaan with their father but their food was nearly finished. Jacob and his sons had eaten all the food that the brothers had brought back. They were always hungry. So Jacob said to his sons, “Go back to Egypt again and buy some more food for us.”

3But Judah said to his father, “The governor of that place won't let us in if we don't take our brother with us. That is what he told us.

4If you send Benjamin with us then we can buy food.

5But if you don't let him go, then we won't go. That man told us we can't see him unless our brother goes with us too.”

6Jacob said, “Why did you tell him about this brother of yours? That has made me so sad. You shouldn't have told him.”

7They answered, “But he kept on asking about our family and he said, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you any more brothers?’ So we had to tell him. We didn't know he would tell us to bring our brother with us.”

8And Judah said to his father, “Let him go with me, and we will go straight away. Then we and our children won't starve to death.

9I myself will look after him. If I don't bring him back safely, you can blame me.

10If we hadn't waited so long we could have been to Egypt twice by now.”

11Jacob said, “If Benjamin doesn't go we won't have any food. So take him and go. Take some good things from our country so that you can give them to the governor, a little gum and a little wild honey and some sweet-smelling things and some nuts.

12And take twice the money you took before. Give them back the money they put in your bags. Maybe they made a mistake.

13Now go back quickly to the man and take Benjamin with you.

14I am praying to God that the man will have pity on you and let both Simeon and Benjamin come back with you. Maybe they won't come back, but if Benjamin doesn't go, we won't have any more food.”

15Then the brothers went back to Egypt with Benjamin. They took money as at first, but they took twice as much. They also took things from Canaan to give the governor. And so they set off. They kept on going until they reached Egypt. And they went to Joseph.

16Then Joseph saw them and Benjamin was with them. He called the servant in charge of the other workers in his house and said, “Take these people to my house. They will eat with me at midday. Kill a bullock and cook it and get some other food ready.”

17The servant took them, as Joseph had said, to his house,

18but they were afraid because he brought them to Joseph's house. They thought, “He is bringing us here because of that money that they put back in our bags the first time! Maybe they will suddenly grab us and beat us and take our donkeys and make us work for him all the time.”

19So when they reached the door of Joseph's house, they said to the servant,

20“Please. Listen to us. We came here once before to buy food.

21When we were on the way home and we sat down at night we opened up our bags, and we saw at the top of our bags the money that we had already given for the food. We don't know who put it there. So we have brought it all back here again, and also much more money, so we can buy more food.”

23But he said to them, “Never mind, don't be afraid. God must have put that money there for you, the God you and your father worship. Yes, I took that money the other time for the food.” Then he went to the jail and he took Simeon out and brought him to his brothers.

About the brothers eating together with Joseph

24The servant took them into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. Then he gave their donkeys food to eat.

25He told them that they were going to eat with Joseph. So they got ready the things they had brought with them from Canaan to give to Joseph. Then at midday Joseph arrived, and they took the presents into the house and gave them to him and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

27Then he said, “Are you well? You told me before about your father. Is he well? Is he still alive and well?”

28And they said, “Our father is still alive and well.” And again they bowed down in front of him, because he was the governor.

29Joseph looked around and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son. He said, “So this is your youngest brother, the one you were telling me about.” Then he said to Benjamin, “God bless you.”

30Joseph was so full of feelings when he saw Benjamin that he was nearly in tears. He left suddenly and went to his room and cried there.

31Then he washed his face and wiped the tears away and went back and controlled himself. He told his servants to bring the food.

32Joseph was sitting separately by himself at one table, and the brothers were sitting away from him at a different table. Some Egyptians were also eating there. They were separate too because they didn't want to sit with people from a different country.

33The brothers were sitting near Joseph facing him. They had been told how to sit, with Reuben sitting down first because he was the oldest, then Simeon and all the others and last of all Benjamin the youngest. They were seated properly, the eldest first right through to the youngest. When they saw this they were very surprised.

34Joseph gave the food to his servants and they carried it to his brothers. But Joseph gave a lot more food to Benjamin. He had five times as much food. Then they ate and drank until they were all drunk.