1
And the famine became heavy in the land.
2
And it was as◦ they completed eating what they purchased which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to▵ them, Return, purchase for us a··little food.
3
And Judah said to▵ him, saying, Testifying the man◦ did testify to us, saying, You shall not see my face without your brother with◦ you.
4
If thou wilt send our brother with◦ us, we will go··down and purchase food for thee.
5
And if thou wilt not◦ send him, we will not go··down; for the man◦ said to▵ us, You shall not see my face without your brother with◦ you.
6
And Israel said, Why did you do··evil to me, to tell the man◦ whether you had yet a brother?
7
And they said, Asking, the man◦ asked as to us and as to our birth, saying, Is your father still alive? Have◦ you a brother? And we told him upon the mouth of these words. Knowing could we know that he would say, Bring· your brother ·down?
8
And Judah said to▵ Israel his father, Send the lad with◦ me, and we will arise and go; and we will live, and not die, both◦ we◦ and◦ thou◦, and◦ our infants.
9
I▵ will be··surety for him; from my hand shalt thou seek him; if I bring him not to▵ thee, and place◦ him before thee, then I shall be sinning to thee all the days.
10
For if· we had ·not lingered, surely▵ we would have now returned these two··times◦.
11
And their father Israel said to▵ them, If this be so, then◦ do this: take of the song* of the land in your vessels, and bring··down to the man◦ a gift··offering, a··little balm and a··little honey, aromas and stacte, pistachios and almonds.
12
And take double◦ the silver in your hands, and the silver that was returned in the mouth of your bags, return it in your hand; perhaps it◦ was an error.
13
And receive◦ your brother*, and arise, and return to▵ the man◦.
14
And God◦ Shaddai give you compassions before the man◦, and send you your other brother and Benjamin. And I◦, as◦ I have been bereaved, I shall be bereaved.
15
And the men◦ took this gift◦, and they took double◦ the silver in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose··up, and went··down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16
And Joseph saw Benjamin with◦ them, and he said to him who was over his house, Bring the men◦ to the house, and butchering, butcher and prepare; for the men◦ shall eat with◦ me at noon.
17
And the man◦ did as◦ Joseph said; and the man◦ brought the men◦ to Joseph’s house.
18
And the men◦ feared, for they were brought··into the house of Joseph; and they said, Concerning the word of the silver returned in our bags in the beginning are we◦ brought; to roll down on us, and to fall on us, and to take us for servants, and our donkeys.
19
And they approached the man◦ who was over Joseph’s house, and they spoke to▵ him at* the entrance of the house,
20
and said, In··me*, my lord, coming··down we came··down in the beginning to purchase food;
21
and it was, when◦ we came to▵ the inn and we opened our bags, and behold, a man’s◦ silver in the mouth of his bag, our silver in its weight; and we have returned it back in our hand.
22
And other silver have we brought··down in our hand to purchase food; we know not who put our silver in our bags.
23
And he said, Peace be to you, fear not; your God and the God of your father gave you a concealed gift in your bags; your silver came to▵ me. And he brought· Simeon ·out to▵ them.
24
And the man◦ brought the men◦ to▫ Joseph’s house, and gave water, and they bathed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.
25
And they prepared the gift··offering against the coming of Joseph at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26
And Joseph came to▫ the house, and they brought him the gift··offering which was in their hand to▫ the house, and bowed· themselves ·down to him to▫ the earth.
27
And he asked them as to their peace, and said, Is there peace with your father, the old one of whom you talk? Is he still living?
28
And they said, There is peace to thy servant our father; he is yet alive. And they bent··themselves, and bowed· themselves ·down.
29
And he lifted··up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest◦ brother, of whom you said to▵ me? And he said, God be··gracious··to thee, my son.
30
And Joseph made··haste, for his compassions* did yearn toward▵ his brother; and he sought to weep, and he came to the bed chamber, and wept there.
31
And he bathed his faces, and went··out, and he held··himself··back, and said, Set on bread.
32
And they set on for him alone, and for them alone, and for the Egyptians◦ who did eat with◦ him, alone; because◦ the Egyptians◦ are· not ·able to eat bread with the Hebrews; because◦ this◦ is an abomination to the Egyptians.
33
And they sat before him, the firstborn according··to his birthright, and the youngest▵ being··youngest; and the men◦ were amazed, a man◦ to▵ his companion.
34
And he carried out portions◦* from with◦ him* to▵ them; and he multiplied Benjamin’s portion◦ above◦ the portions◦ of them all, five measures*. And they drank and drank··largely with him.
