Genesis 43

vehara'av kaved ba'arets

But the famine in the land was severe.

vayehi ka'asher killu le'ekhol et-hashever asher hevi'u mimmitsrayim vayyomer alehem avihem shuvu shivru-lanu me'at-okhel

And when they had eaten up the rations that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again and procure some food for us.”

vayyomer elayw yehudah lemor ha'ed he'id banu ha'ish lemor lo-tiru fanay bilti akhikhem ittekhem

But Judah said to him, “The man warned us, ‘Do not let me see your faces unless your brother is with you.’

im-yeshkha meshalleakh et-akhinu ittanu neredah venishberah lekha okhel

If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and procure food for you;

ve'im-enekha meshalleakh lo nered ki-ha'ish amar elenu lo-tiru fanay bilti akhikhem ittekhem

but if you will not let him go, we will not go down, for that man said to us, ‘Do not let me see your faces unless your brother is with you.’”

vayyomer yisra'el lamah hare'otem li lehaggid la'ish ha'od lakhem akh

And Israel said, “Why did you serve me so ill as to tell the man that you had another brother?”

vayyomeru sha'ol sha'al-ha'ish lanu ulemoladtenu lemor ha'od avikhem khay hayesh lakhem akh vannagged-lo al-pi haddevarim ha'elleh hayadoa neda ki yomar horidu et-akhikhem

They replied, “But the man kept asking about us and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still living? Have you another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How were we to know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

vayyomer yehudah el-yisra'el aviv shilkhah hanna'ar itti venaqumah venelekhah venikhyeh velo namut gam-anakhnu gam-attah gam-tappenu

Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy in my care, and let us be on our way, that we may live and not die—you and we and our children.

anokhi e'ervennu miyyadi tevaqshennu im-lo havi'otiv elekha vehitsagtiv lefanekha vekhatati lekha kol-hayyamim

I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible: if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I shall stand guilty before you forever.

ki lule hitmahmahenu ki-attah shavnu zeh fa'amayim

For we could have been there and back twice if we had not dawdled.”

vayyomer alehem yisra'el avihem im-ken efo zot asu qekhu mizzimrat ha'arets bikhlekhem vehoridu la'ish minkhah me'at tsori ume'at devash nekhot valot botnim usheqedim

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your baggage, and carry them down as a gift for the man—some balm and some honey, gum, ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

vekhesef mishneh qekhu veyedkhem ve'et-hakkesef hammushav befi amtekhotekhem tashivu veyedkhem ulay mishgeh hu

And take with you double the money, carrying back with you the money that was replaced in the mouths of your bags; perhaps it was a mistake.

ve'et-akhikhem qakhu vequmu shuvu el-ha'ish

Take your brother too; and go back at once to the man.

ve'el shadday yitten lakhem rakhamim lifne ha'ish veshillakh lakhem et-akhikhem akher ve'et-binyamin va'ani ka'asher shakholeti shakhaleti

And may El Shaddai dispose the man to mercy toward you, that he may release to you your other brother, as well as Benjamin. As for me, if I am to be bereaved, I shall be bereaved.”

vayyiqkhu ha'anashim et-hamminkhah hazzot umishneh-kkesef laqekhu veyadam ve'et-binyamin vayyaqumu vayyeredu mitsrayim vayya'amdu lifne yosef

So the men took that gift, and they took with them double the money, as well as Benjamin. They made their way down to Egypt, where they presented themselves to Joseph.

vayyar yosef ittam et-binyamin vayyomer la'asher al-beto have et-ha'anashim habbayetah utevoakh tevakh vehakhen ki itti yokhelu ha'anashim batsohorayim

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, “Take those men into the house; slaughter and prepare an animal, for at noon they will dine—with me.”

vayya'as ha'ish ka'asher amar yosef vayyave ha'ish et-ha'anashim betah yosef

The man did as Joseph said: he brought the men into Joseph’s house.

vayyire'u ha'anashim ki huve'u bet yosef vayyomeru al-devar hakkesef hashav be'amtekhotenu battekhillah anakhnu muva'im lehitgolel alenu ulehitnappel alenu velaqakhat otanu la'avadim ve'et-khamorenu

But the men were frightened at being brought into Joseph’s house. “It must be,” they thought, “because of the money replaced in our bags the first time that we have been brought inside, as a pretext to attack us and seize us as slaves, with our pack animals.”

vayyiggeshu el-ha'ish asher al-bet yosef vayedabberu elayw petakh habbayit

So they went up to Joseph’s house steward and spoke to him at the entrance of the house.

vayyomeru bi adoni yarod yaradnu battekhillah lishbor-okhel

“If you please, my lord,” they said, “we came down once before to procure food.

vayehi ki-vanu el-hammalon vanniftekhah et-amtekhotenu vehinneh khesef-ish befi amtakhto kaspenu bemishqalo vannashev oto beyadenu

But when we arrived at the night encampment and opened our bags, there was each one’s money in the mouth of his bag, our money in full. So we have brought it back with us.

vekhesef akher horadnu veyadenu lishbor-okhel lo yadanu mi-sam kaspenu be'amtekhotenu

And we have brought down with us other money to procure food. We do not know who put the money in our bags.”

vayyomer shalom lakhem al-tira'u elohekhem velohe avikhem natan lakhem matmon be'amtekhotekhem kaspekhem ba elay vayyotse alehem et-shimon

He replied, “All is well with you; do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put treasure in your bags for you. I got your payment.” And he brought out Simeon to them.

vayyave ha'ish et-ha'anashim betah yosef vayyitten-mayim vayyirkhatsu raglehem vayyitten mispo lakhamorehem

Then the steward brought the men into Joseph’s house; he gave them water to bathe their feet, and he provided feed for their donkeys.

vayyakhinu et-hamminkhah ad-bo yosef batsohorayim ki shame'u ki-sham yokhelu lakhem

They laid out their gifts to await Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to dine there.

vayyavo yosef habbaytah vayyaviu lo et-hamminkhah asher-beyadam habbayetah vayyishtakhavu-lo aretsah

When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts that they had brought with them into the house, bowing low before him to the ground.

vayyishal lahem leshalom vayyomer hashalom avikhem hazzaqen asher amartem ha'odennu khay

He greeted them, and he said, “How is your aged father of whom you spoke? Is he still in good health?”

vayyomeru shalom le'avdekha le'avinu odennu khay vayyiqqedu (vyshtkhv) [vayyishtakhavu]

They replied, “It is well with your servant our father; he is still in good health.” And they bowed and made obeisance.

vayyissa enayw vayyar et-binyamin akhiv ben-immo vayyomer hazeh akhikhem haqqaton asher amartem elay vayyomar elohim yokhnekha beni

Looking about, he saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and asked, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he went on, “May God be gracious to you, my boy.”

vayemaher yosef ki-nikhmeru rakhamayw el-akhiv vayevaqqesh livkot vayyavo hakhadrah vayyevk shammah

With that, Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome with feeling toward his brother and was on the verge of tears; he went into a room and wept there.

vayyirkhats panayw vayyetse vayyitappaq vayyomer simu lakhem

Then he washed his face, reappeared, and—now in control of himself—gave the order, “Serve the meal.”

vayyasimu lo levaddo velahem levaddam velammitsrim ha'okhelim itto levaddam ki lo yukhelun hammitsrim le'ekhol et-ha'ivrim lekhem ki-to'evah hiv lemitsrayim

They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; for the Egyptians could not dine with the Hebrews, since that would be abhorrent to the Egyptians.

vayyeshevu lefanayw habbekhor kivkhorato vehatsa'ir kitsirato vayyitmehu ha'anashim ish el-re'ehu

As they were seated by his direction, from the oldest in the order of his seniority to the youngest in the order of his youth, the men looked at one another in astonishment.

vayyissa masot me'et panayw alehem vatterev masat binyamin mimmasot kullam khamesh yadot vayyishtu vayyishkeru immo

Portions were served them from his table; but Benjamin’s portion was several times that of anyone else. And they drank their fill with him.