Study Desk

And the sons of Israel came to buy grain with those that came; for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.

And he put them all together in prison for three days.

And on the third day Joseph said to them, Do this, and live; for I worship God;

If you are pious men, let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; and the rest of you, go and carry grain for the famished who are in your household;

And they said one to another, Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not listen to him; therefore is this distress come upon us.

And they did not know that Joseph understood them; for he spoke to them by an interpreter.

Then Joseph commanded the servants to fill their sacks with wheat, and to restore every mans money into his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey; and they did so for them.

The man who is the lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the land.

And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, By this shall I know that you are pious men; leave one of your brothers here with me, and take wheat for the famished who are in your households, and go your way;

And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left to his mother: if misfortune should befall him by the way in which you go, then you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.

If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy grain for ourselves;

But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, You shall not see my face except your brother is with you.

And I will be surety for him; of my hands shall you require him; if I do not bring him back to you, and set him before you, then I shall be guilty before my father forever;

For if we had not delayed, perhaps we would have now returned a second time.

And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin with you. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring these men into the house, and kill a sheep, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

And the men made ready the present before Joseph came at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there.

And Joseph made haste; for his heart did yearn for his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber and wept there.

And they served Joseph by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians, who did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

And take my cup, the silver cup, and put it in the sacks mouth of the youngest, with his money for the wheat. And the servant did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.