¹ In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land.

² And when they had eaten up all the corn, which they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: Go again and buy us a little food.

³ Juda answered: The man declared unto us with the atteststion of an oath, saying: You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.

⁴ If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee.

⁵ But if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have often said, declared unto us, saying: You shall not see my face without your youngest brother.

⁶ Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery in that you told him you had also another brother.

⁷ But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him regularly, according to what he demanded: Bring hither your brother with you?

⁸ And Juda said to his father: Send the bou with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish.

⁹ I take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for ever.

¹⁰ If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.

¹¹ Then Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.

¹² And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake.

¹³ And take also your brother, and go to the man.

¹⁴ And may my almighty Bod make him favourable to you; and send back with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me I shall be desolate without children.

¹⁵ So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

¹⁶ And when he had seen them, and Benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at noon.

¹⁷ He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house.

¹⁸ And they being much afraid, said there one to another: Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by violence make slaves of us and our asses.

¹⁹ Wherefore going up to the steward of the house, at the door,

²⁰ They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us: We came down once before to buy food:

²¹ And when we had bought, and come to the inn, we opened our sacks, and found our money in the mouths of the sacks: which we have now brought again in the same weight.

²² And we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we cannot tell who put it in our bags.

²³ But he answered: Peace be with you, fear not: your God, and the God of your Father hath given you treasure in your sacks. For the money, which you gave me, I have for good. And he brought Simeon out to them.

²⁴ And having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses.

²⁵ But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

²⁶ Then Joseph came into his house, and they offered him the presents holding them in their hands, and they bowed down with their face to the ground.

²⁷ But he, courteously saluting them again, asked them, saying: Is the old man your father in health, of whom uou told me? Is he yet living?

²⁸ And they answered: Thy servant our father is in health, he is yet living. And bowing themselves they made obeisance to him.

²⁹ And Joseph lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin his brother, by the same mother, and said: Is this your young brother, of whom you told me? And he said: God be gracious to thee, my son.

³⁰ And he made haste becouse his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out: And going into his chamber he wept.

³¹ And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.

³² And when it was set on, for Joseph apart, and for his brethren apart, for the Egyptians also that ate with him, apart, (for it is unlawful for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and they think such a feast profane:)

³³ They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much:

³⁴ Taking the messes which they received of him: and the greater mess came to Benjamin, so that it exceeded by five parts. And they drank, and were merry with him.

¹ In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, even a great warfare: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks.

³ I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.

⁴ In the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel,

⁵ I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, whose thighs were adorned with pure gold of Uphaz:

⁶ his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches, and his arms and his feet like burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

⁷ I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men who were with me didn't see the vision; but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.

⁸ So I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

⁹ Yet heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I fallen into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.

¹⁰ Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands.

¹¹ He said to me, Daniel, you man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright; for am I now sent to you. When he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling.

¹² Then he said to me, Don't be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard: and I have come for your words' sake.

¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

¹⁴ Now I have come to make you understand what shall happen to your people in the latter days; for the vision is yet for [many] days:

¹⁵ and when he had spoken to me according to these words, I set my face toward the ground, and was mute.

¹⁶ Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, my lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows are turned on me, and I retain no strength.

¹⁷ For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me, neither was there breath left in me.

¹⁸ Then there touched me again one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.

¹⁹ He said, "Greatly beloved man, don't be afraid: peace be to you, be strong, yes, be strong." When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak; for you have strengthened me."

²⁰ Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia. When I go forth, behold, the prince of Greece shall come.

²¹ But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth: and there is none who holds with me against these, but Michael your prince."