1. Now the famine in the land was severe.
2. And it happened that as they finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt their father said to them, “Return and buy a little food for us.”
3. Then Judah said to him, “The man solemnly admonished us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’
4. If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you,
5. but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”
6. Then Israel said, “Why did you bring trouble to me by telling the man you still had a brother?”
7. And they said, “The man asked explicitly about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother?’ And we answered him according to these words. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring down your brother’?”
8. Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and let us arise and go, so that we will live and not die—you, we, and our children.
9. I myself will be surety for him. You may seek him from my hand. If I do not bring him back to you and present him before you, then I will stand guilty before you forever.
10. Surely if we had not hesitated by this time we would have returned twice.”
11. Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so then do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, and pistachios and almonds.
12. And take double the money in your hands. Take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13. And take your brother. Now arise and return to the man.
14. And may El-Shaddai grant you compassion before the man that he may release your other brother to you and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15. So the men took this gift, and they took double money in their hands, and Benjamin, and they rose up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them he said to the one who was over his household, “Bring the men into the house and slaughter and prepare an animal, for the men shall eat with me at noon.”