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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</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/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="/bmc//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="/genesis/">Genesis</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 align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/genesis/43.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/genesis/43.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/genesis/43.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/genesis/43.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/genesis/43.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/genesis/43.htm">NAS</a></div><br /><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/genesis/43.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a><p class="hdg">The Return to Egypt with Benjamin<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Now the famine was still severe in the land. <A name="3"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>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.” <A name="4"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. <A name="6"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>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.’<span class="thinq"> </span>” <A name="7"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?” <A name="8"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>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’?” <A name="9"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>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. <A name="10"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>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. <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.” <A name="12"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>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. <A name="13"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>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. <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once. <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>May God Almighty<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">a</a></span> 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.” <A name="16"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>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. <A name="17"></a><p class="hdg">Joseph’s Hospitality to His Brothers<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>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.” <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house. <A name="19"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>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.” <A name="20"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. <A name="21"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food. <A name="22"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>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. <A name="23"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.” <A name="24"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>“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. <A name="25"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys. <A name="26"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>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. <A name="27"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him. <A name="28"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?” <A name="29"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him. <A name="30"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>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.” <A name="31"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep. <A name="32"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.” <A name="33"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>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. <A name="34"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. <span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/43-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>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.</p><A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:</b><br><br><span class="fnverse">14</span> <span class="footnotesbot">a</span> Hebrew <i>El-Shaddai</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><br /></div><br /></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Berean Bible (<a href=http://berean.bible>www.Berean.Bible</a>) <a href=http://bereanbible.com>Berean Study Bible (BSB)</a> © 2016, 2020 by <a href=http://biblehub.com>Bible Hub</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible>Berean.Bible</a>. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Free <a href=http://berean.bible/downloads.htm>downloads</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible/licensing.htm>licensing</a> available. 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