CHAPTER 43
1 In the meantime hunger oppressed greatly all the land,
2 and when the meats were wasted or consumed, which they [had] brought from Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, Turn ye again, and buy ye a little of meats to us.
3 Judah answered, That man announced to us, under witnessing of an oath, and said, Ye shall not see my face, if ye shall not bring with you your least brother;
4 therefore if thou wilt send him with us, we shall go down together, and we shall buy necessaries to thee;
5 else if thou wilt not, we shall not go down; for as we said oft, the man announced to us, and said, Ye shall not see my face without your least brother.
6 Forsooth Israel said to them, Ye did this into my wretchedness, that ye showed to him, that ye had also another brother.
7 And they answered, The man asked us by order our generation, if our father lived, if we had another brother; and we answered pursuingly to him, by that that he asked; whether we might know that he would say, Bring ye your brother with you?
8 And Judah said to his father, Send the child with me*, that we go, and may live, lest we die, and thou, and our little children;
9 I shall take the child, require thou him again of mine hand; if I shall not bring him again, and betake him to thee, I shall be guilty of sin against thee in all time;
10 if this delay, or tarrying, had not been, we had come thence now another time.
11 Therefore Israel, their father, said to them, If it is need so to be, do ye that that ye will; take ye of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and bear ye gifts to the man, a little of gum, and of honey, and of storax, that is, a precious gum, and of myrrh, that is, a bitter gum, and of terebinth, that is, best resins, and of almonds;
12 and bear ye with you double money, and bear ye again that money which ye found in [the] bags, lest peradventure it be done by error, or unwittingly, or by negligence;
13 but also take ye your brother, and go ye to the man;
14 forsooth my God Almighty make him peaceable or pleasable, or queme-ful, to you, and send he again your brother, whom he holdeth in bonds, and also this Benjamin; forsooth I shall be now as made bare without sons.
15 Therefore the men took gifts, and double money, and Benjamin; and they went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 And when he had seen them and Benjamin together, he commanded the dispenser of his house, and said, Lead these men into the house, and slay some beasts, and make a feast; for they shall eat with me today.
17 He did as it was commanded or as it was bidden to him, and he led the men into the house;
18 and there they were afeared, and they said together, We be brought in for the money which we bare again before in our sacks, that he put challenge against us, and make subject by violence to servage both us and our asses.
19 Wherefore they nighed in the gates, and spake to the dispenser,
20 Lord, we pray, that thou hear us; we came down now before that we should buy meats;
21 when those were bought, and we headed home, when we came to the inn, we opened our bags, and we found the money in the mouths of our sacks, which money we have brought again now in the same weight;
22 but also we have brought other silver, that we can buy those things that be needful to us; it is not in our knowing who put the money in our purses.
23 And he answered, Peace be to you, do not ye dread; your God, and [the] God of your father, gave to you treasures in your bags; for I have the money proved, which ye gave to me. And he led out Simeon to them;
24 and when they were brought into the house, he brought water, and they washed their feet, and he gave their asses meats.
25 Soothly they made ready their gifts till Joseph entered at midday, for they had heard that they should eat bread there.
26 Therefore Joseph entered into his house, and they offered gifts to him, and held them in their hands, and worshipped low to the earth.
27 And he greeted them again meekly; and he asked them, and said, Whether your father, the eld [or old] man, is safe, of whom ye said to me? liveth he yet?
28 Which answered, He is whole, thy servant our father liveth yet; and they were bowed, and worshipped him.
29 Forsooth Joseph raised [up] his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother of the same womb, and he said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye said to me? And again Joseph said, My son, God have mercy on thee.
30 And Joseph hasted into another part of the house, for his entrails were moved on his brother, and tears burst out, and he entered into a closet, and wept.
31 And again when his face was washed, he went out, and refrained himself from weeping, and said, Set ye forth loaves.
32 Which were set forth to Joseph by himself, and to his brethren by themselves, and to the Egyptians that ate together by themselves; for it is unleaveful to Egyptians to eat with Hebrews, and they guess such a feast unholy.
33 Therefore they sat before him, the first begotten by right of the first begotten, and so on down to the youngest by his age; and they wondered greatly,
34 when the parts were taken which they had received of him, and the more part came to Benjamin, so that it passed the others in five parts; and they drank, and were [ful] filled with him.
* CHAPTER 43:8 Benjamin would have been over 30 years old at this time.