A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Genesis 43
Genesis 43 is the forty-third chapter of the book of Genesis and the chapter in which Jacob's sons return to Egypt with Benjamin. The 34-verse chapter follows Judah's pledge for the boy's safety, the brothers' arrival at Joseph's house with gifts, and a meal at which Joseph sees his full brother again for the first time in more than twenty years.
The chapter opens with the famine still severe and the grain bought in Egypt gone. Jacob tells his sons to go back and buy more. Judah reminds him that the Egyptian governor was clear: they cannot see his face again unless Benjamin is with them.
Judah pledges himself for the boy. "Send the boy with me, and we will get up and go. I myself will guarantee his safety; you may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you all my life." Israel relents. He tells them to take some of the best of the land as a gift for the man, double the silver to repay what was returned, and Benjamin. He says, "May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man," and adds, "If I am bereaved, I am bereaved."
The brothers go down to Egypt and stand before Joseph. When Joseph sees Benjamin with them, he tells his steward to take the men to his house, slaughter an animal, and prepare a meal. The brothers are afraid as they are brought in; they think it is because of the silver. The steward answers them at the door, "Peace to you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." He brings Simeon out to them.
They wash, prepare their gift, and wait. When Joseph comes home, they present the gift and bow to the ground. Joseph asks about their father. They answer that he is well, still alive. Joseph looks up and sees Benjamin, his mother's son. He asks, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son." His heart aches for his brother, and he hurries into his chamber and weeps. He washes his face, comes out, controls himself, and orders the meal.
The brothers are seated by age, from oldest to youngest, and they look at each other in astonishment. Portions are sent to them from Joseph's table, with Benjamin's portion five times larger than the others. They feast and drink freely with him.
Verse 1. Now the famine was still severe in the land.
Verse 2. So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
Verse 3. But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
Verse 4. If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
Verse 5. But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
Verse 6. “Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
Verse 7. They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
Verse 8. And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
Verse 9. I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
Verse 10. If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
Verse 11. Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
Verse 12. Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
Verse 13. Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
Verse 14. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
Verse 15. So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
Verse 16. When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”
Verse 17. The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
Verse 18. But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
Verse 19. So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
Verse 20. “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
Verse 21. But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
Verse 22. We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
Verse 23. “It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
Verse 24. And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
Verse 25. Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
Verse 26. When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
Verse 27. He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
Verse 28. “Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
Verse 29. When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
Verse 30. Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
Verse 31. Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
Verse 32. They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
Verse 33. They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
Verse 34. When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
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