43 However, the famine in the region was still very severe, 2 so when they’d used up all the grain that they’d brought from Egypt, their father instructed them, “Go back there and buy some food for us.”

3 But Yehudah challenged him, “That man told us that he won’t even see us unless our brother is with us. 4 We can only go there to buy food for you if you’ll agree to send our youngest brother with us. 5 If you don’t, it’s not even worth going, because that man clearly told us that he won’t even see us unless our brother is with us.

6 “Why did you all treat me badly by telling the man you have a younger brother?” their father Yisra’el asked.

7 “The man kept asking about us and our relatives,” they answered. “He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We just answered what he asked. How could we possibly know that he would insist that we bring our youngest brother there?”

8 Then Yehudah said to his father, “Entrust the young man to me, and we’ll pack up and go so that both we and you and our little ones will live and not die. 9 I myself will guarantee him. If anything happens to him, you can charge it to me. If I don’t get him safely back to you, then I’ll personally carry the blame for the rest of my life. 10 If we hadn’t sat around here doing nothing for so long, certainly by now we could have been there and back twice!”

11 “Well, if that’s our only choice,” their father acceded, “then do this: Take some of the best produce from around here in your bags, and take it down to the man as a gift: a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, and some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 And take double the amount of silver, because you must repay the silver that was returned in the tops of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 So take your brother and go and return to the man. 14 May the provider God Almighty cause the man to treat you kindly, and may he send your other brother and Benyamin back with you. And as for me, if I lose another son, I’ll just have to mourn him.”

15 So the brothers took the gifts and double the amount of silver. Then taking Benyamin, they travelled down to Egypt and presented themselves to Yosef. 16 When Yosef saw Benyamin with them, he told his head house-servant, “Take these men to the house, and slaughter an animal and prepare a meal, because they’ll eat with me at noon.” 17 The man did what he’d been instructed and brought the men to Yosef’s house.

18 But the brothers were afraid when they found out that they’d been brought to wait outside Yosef’s house, and said to each other, “We must have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our sacks the first time. He wants to overpower us, then arrest us and confiscate our donkeys and take us as slaves.” 19 So they approached the head servant and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, 20 explaining, “Please, my master, honestly, we came down here the first time to buy food. 21 But when we got to our lodging place that evening, we opened our sacks and got a shock because each man’s silver was in the top of his sack—the full amount of our silver was there. So we’ve brought it back here on this trip, 22 plus we’ve brought more silver to buy food. We don’t know who put that silver in our sacks.” 23 But he said, “Peace to you—don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you hidden treasure in your sacks—I received your previous payment.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24 Then the servant took the brothers into Yosef’s house. He had water given to them and they washed their feet, and he had fodder given to their donkeys. 25 Then they got theirs gifts ready for when Yosef would arrive at midday, because they’d heard that they would be given lunch there. 26 When Yosef arrived there, they brought their gifts and they bowed to the ground in front of him. 27 Then he asked them about their living situation at home and questioned, “Is everything ok for your elderly father that you told me about? Is he still alive?”

28 “Things are well for your servant our father. And yes, he’s still alive.” Then they bowed their heads and bowed to the ground again.

29 Then Yosef looked around and saw his full-brother Benyamin, and asked, “Is this your youngest brother that you spoke to me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 At that point, Yosef had to hurry out of the room, because he was so overcome with emotion for his younger brother that he needed to cry, so he went to his inner room and cried there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out, controlling himself and ordering, “Serve the meal.” 32 So the servants served Yosef at his own table, and served the brothers separately and the Egyptians who were eating with him separately again (because Egyptians won’t eat together with Hebrews, because Egyptians would find that demeaning. 33 At their table, the brothers were astonished to discover that they had been seated in order from the oldest to the youngest. 34 Then they were served food Yosef’s table, but Benyamin’s serving was five times larger than any of the others, and they drank and they and Yosef all got a bit tiddly.