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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Genesis 43 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/genesis/43.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/genesis/43-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > Genesis 43</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../genesis/42.htm" title="Genesis 42">◄</a> Genesis 43 <a href="../genesis/44.htm" title="Genesis 44">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/genesis/43.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">The Brothers Return to Egypt</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>But the famine continued to ravage the land of Canaan. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>But Judah said, “The man was serious when he warned us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy more food. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>But if you don’t let Benjamin go, we won’t go either. Remember, the man said, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>“Why were you so cruel to me?” Jacob<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a> moaned. “Why did you tell him you had another brother?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>“The man kept asking us questions about our family,” they replied. “He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and our little ones. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>If we hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts—balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Also take double the money that was put back in your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Then take your brother, and go back to the man. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>May God Almighty<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a> give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>So the men packed Jacob’s gifts and double the money and headed off with Benjamin. They finally arrived in Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”</p><p class="hdg">A Feast at Joseph’s Palace</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>The brothers approached the manager of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>“Sir,” they said, “we came to Egypt once before to buy food. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>But as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. Then we discovered that each man’s money—the exact amount paid—was in the top of his sack! Here it is; we have brought it back with us. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>We also have additional money to buy more food. We have no idea who put our money in our sacks.”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>“Relax. Don’t be afraid,” the household manager told them. “Your God, the God of your father, must have put this treasure into your sacks. I know I received your payment.” Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>The manager then led the men into Joseph’s palace. He gave them water to wash their feet and provided food for their donkeys. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low to the ground before him. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>“Yes,” they replied. “Our father, your servant, is alive and well.” And they bowed low again.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Then Joseph looked at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Joseph asked. “May God be gracious to you, my son.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Then Joseph hurried from the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his private room, where he broke down and wept. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, “Bring out the food!”</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>The waiters served Joseph at his own table, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians who ate with Joseph sat at their own table, because Egyptians despise Hebrews and refuse to eat with them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/43-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>And Joseph filled their plates with food from his own table, giving Benjamin five times as much as he gave the others. So they feasted and drank freely with him.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">43:6 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">Israel;</span><span class="ft"> also in 43:11. See note on 35:21.</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">43:14 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">El-Shaddai.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of <a href="http://www.tyndale.com">Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.</a>, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. 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