1 And the famine was grievous in the land.2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again, buy us a little food.3 And Judah spoke to him, saying, The man did positively testify to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food;5 but if thou do not send {him}, we will not go down, for the man said to us, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.6 And Israel said, Why did ye deal {so} ill with me {as} to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?7 And they said, The man asked very closely after us, and after our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we at all know that he would say, Bring your brother down?8 And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we and thou and our little ones.9 I will be surety for him: of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and set him before thy face, then shall I be guilty toward thee for ever.10 For had we not lingered, we should now certainly have returned already twice.11 And their father Israel said to them, If it is then so, do this: take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a gift: a little balsam and a little honey, tragacanth and ladanum, pistacia-nuts and almonds.12 And take other money in your hand, and the money that was returned to you in the mouth of your sacks, carry back in your hand: perhaps it is an oversight.13 And take your brother, and arise, go again to the man.14 And the Almighty *God give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin! And I, if I be bereaved of children, am bereaved.15 And the men took that gift, and took double money in their hand, and Benjamin, and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and came before Joseph.16 And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and said to the {man} who was over his house, Bring the men into the house, and slaughter cattle, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon.17 And the man did as Joseph had said; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.18 And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house, and said, Because of the money that was returned to us in our sacks at the beginning are we brought in, that he may turn against us, and fall upon us and take us for bondmen, and our asses.19 And they came up to the man that was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,20 and said, Ah! my lord, we came indeed down at the first to buy food.21 And it came to pass when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and behold, {every} man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money according to its weight; and we have brought it again in our hand.22 And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; your money came to me. And he brought Simeon out to them.24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses food.25 And they made ready the gift for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they should eat bread there.26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift that was in their hand, into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well-the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?28 And they said, Thy servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And they bowed, and made obeisance.29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother of whom ye spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to thee, my son!30 And Joseph made haste, for his bowels burned for his brother; and he sought {a place} to weep, and he went into the chamber, and wept there.31 And he washed his face, and came out, and controlled himself, and said, Set on bread.32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one at another.34 And he had portions carried to them from before him. And Benjamin's portion was five times greater than the portions of them all. And they drank, and made merry with him.

1 En die hongersnood was swaar in die land.2 En nadat die koring wat hulle uit Egipte gebring het, opgeëet was, sê hulle vader vir hulle: Gaan koop vir ons weer 'n bietjie voedsel.3 Toe het Juda hom geantwoord: Die man het ons uitdruklik gewaarsku en gesê: Julle sal my aangesig nie sien as julle broer nie by julle is nie.4 As u ons broer saam met ons stuur, sal ons aftrek en vir u voedsel koop;5 maar as u hom nie stuur nie, sal ons nie aftrek nie; want die man het aan ons gesê: Julle sal my aangesig nie sien as julle broer nie by julle is nie.6 Toe sê Israel: Waarom het julle so verkeerd teen my gehandel deur die man te vertel dat julle nog 'n broer het?7 En hulle antwoord: Die man het uitdruklik na ons en ons familie gevra met die woorde: Lewe julle vader nog? Het julle nog 'n broer? Toe het ons hom dit te kenne gegee volgens hierdie woorde. Kon ons dan ooit weet dat hy sou sê: Bring julle broer af?8 Daarop sê Juda aan sy vader Israel: Stuur die seun saam met my; dan sal ons klaarmaak en wegtrek, sodat ons kan lewe en nie sterwe nie -- ons en ook u en ons kinders nie.9 Ek sal vir hom borg wees; van my hand kan u hom eis. As ek hom nie na u bring en voor u stel nie, sal ek lewenslank teenoor u skuldig staan.10 Ja, as ons nie getalm het nie, waarlik dan was ons nou al twee maal terug.11 Toe het Israel, hulle vader, vir hulle gesê: As dit so is, doen dan dit: neem van die opbrings van die land in julle sakke en bring vir die man 'n geskenk af -- bietjie balsem en bietjie heuning, speserye en gom, neute en amandels;12 en neem dubbel soveel geld met julle saam en bring die geld wat weer bo in julle sakke gesit is, met julle saam terug. Miskien was dit 'n vergissing.13 En neem julle broer -- maak julle klaar en gaan terug na die man.14 En mag God, die Almagtige, julle barmhartigheid verleen by die man, sodat hy julle ander broer en Benjamin saam met julle kan laat trek! En ek -- as ek van kinders beroof is, dan is ek beroof.15 Daarop neem die manne die geskenk, en hulle neem dubbel soveel geld saam met hulle en ook Benjamin, en hulle het klaargemaak en na Egipte afgetrek en voor Josef gaan staan.16 Toe Josef Benjamin by hulle sien, sê hy aan die opsigter oor sy huis: Bring die manne in die huis en slag slagvee en maak dit gereed, want die manne moet vanmiddag by my eet.17 En die man het gedoen soos Josef beveel het, en die man het die manne in die huis van Josef gebring.18 En die manne het gevrees, omdat hulle in die huis van Josef gebring is, en gesê: Ter wille van die geld wat die vorige keer in ons sakke teruggekom het, word ons ingebring om ons te oorrompel, ons te oorval en ons as slawe te neem, saam met ons esels.19 Daarom het hulle nader gekom na die man wat oor die huis van Josef was, en met hom gespreek by die ingang van die huis20 en gesê: Ag, my heer, ons het die vorige keer net afgetrek om voedsel te koop,21 maar toe ons in die herberg kom en ons sakke oopmaak, was elkeen se geld bo in sy sak -- ons geld volgens sy gewig -- en ons het dit saam met ons teruggebring.22 Ons het ook ander geld saam met ons afgebring om voedsel te koop. Ons weet nie wie ons geld in ons sakke gesteek het nie.23 Toe antwoord hy: Vrede vir julle! Moenie bang wees nie! Julle God en die God van julle vader het julle 'n skat in jul sakke gegee. Julle geld het by my gekom. Daarop het hy S¡meon na hulle uitgebring.24 En die man het die manne in die huis van Josef gebring en water aan hulle gegee, en hulle het hul voete gewas; hy het ook hulle esels voer gegee.25 En hulle het die geskenk reggemaak teen dat Josef die middag sou kom, want hulle het gehoor dat hulle daar brood sou eet.26 Toe Josef dan in die huis kom, het hulle vir hom die geskenk binnegebring wat by hulle was, en hulle voor hom neergebuig na die aarde toe.27 En hy het hulle na hul welstand gevra en gesê: Gaan dit goed met julle ou vader van wie julle gespreek het? Leef hy nog?28 En hulle antwoord: Dit gaan goed met u dienaar, ons vader; hy lewe nog. En hulle het hul eerbiedig neergebuig.29 Toe slaan hy sy oë op en sien sy broer Benjamin, die seun van sy moeder, en sê: Is dit julle jongste broer van wie julle met my gespreek het? Daarop sê hy: Mag God jou genadig wees, my seun!30 En Josef het gou gemaak, want sy binneste was ontroerd oor sy broer: hy het geleentheid gesoek om te ween en in die kamer gegaan en daar geween.31 Daarna het hy sy gesig gewas en uitgekom en hom bedwing en gesê: Bring die ete op!32 Toe bring hulle dit vir hom besonders op en vir hulle besonders en vir die Egiptenaars wat by hom eet, besonders; want die Egiptenaars mag nie saam met die Hebreërs eet nie, omdat dit vir die Egiptenaars 'n gruwel is.33 En hulle het gaan sit volgens sy bepaling, die eersgeborene na sy eersgeboorte en die jongste na sy jonkheid. Toe kyk die manne mekaar verbaas aan.34 Hierop het hy aan hulle porsies uitgedeel van die ete wat voor hom staan; maar die porsie van Benjamin was vyf maal groter as die porsies van hulle almal. En hulle het gedrink en saam met hom vrolik geword.