1
Now great famine was in the land.
2
And when they had eaten vp the vitaile, which they had brought from Egypt, their father sayd vnto them, Turne againe, and bye vs a little foode.
3
And Iudah answered him, saying, The man charged vs by an othe, saying, Neuer see my face, except your brother be with you.
4
If thou wilt sende our brother with vs, we will goe downe, and bye thee foode:
5
But if thou wilt not send him, we wil not go downe: for the man said vnto vs, Looke me not in the face, except your brother be with you.
6
And Israel sayd, Wherefore delt ye so euill with me, as to tell the man, whether ye had yet a brother or no?
7
And they answered, The man asked straitly of our selues and of our kinred, saying, Is your father yet aliue? haue ye any brother? And wee tolde him according to these wordes: could we knowe certainely that he would say, Bring your brother downe?
8
Then sayde Iudah to Israel his father, Send the boy with mee, that we may rise and goe, and that we may liue and not dye, both we, and thou, and our children.
9
I wil be suertie for him: of mine hand shalt thou require him. If I bring him not to thee, and set him before thee, then let me beare the blame for euer.
10
For except we had made this tarying, doutlesse by this we had returned the second time.
11
Then their father Israel sayd vnto them, If it must needes be so now, do thus: take of the best fruites of the lande in your vessels, and bring the man a present, a little rosen, and a little hony, spices and myrrhe, nuttes, and almondes:
12
And take double money in your hande, and the money, that was brought againe in your sackes mouthes: cary it againe in your hand, lest it were some ouersight.
13
Take also your brother and arise, and go againe to the man.
14
And God almightie giue you mercie in the sight of the man, that hee may deliuer you your other brother, and Beniamin: but I shall be robbed of my childe, as I haue bene.
15
Thus the men tooke this present, and tooke twise so much money in their hande with Beniamin, and rose vp, and went downe to Egypt and stoode before Ioseph.
Joseph’s Hospitality to His Brothers
16
And whe Ioseph saw Beniamin with them, he sayde to his stewarde, Bring these men home and kill meate, and make ready: for the men shall eate with me at noone.
17
And the man did as Ioseph bad, and brought the men vnto Iosephs house.
18
Nowe when the men were brought into Iosephs house, they were afrayd, and sayd, Because of the money, that came in our sackes mouthes at the first time, are we brought, that hee may picke a quarrell against vs, and lay some thing to our charge, and bring vs in bondage and our asses.
19
Therefore came they to Iosephs stewarde, and communed with him at the doore of ye house.
20
And said, Oh syr, we came in deede down hither at the first time to bye foode,
21
And as wee came to an ynne and opened our sackes, behold, euery mans money was in his sackes mouth, euen our money in full weight, but we haue brought it againe in our handes.
22
Also other money haue we brought in our handes to bye foode, but we cannot tell, who put our money in our sackes.
23
And he said, Peace be vnto you, feare not: your God and the God of your father hath giuen you that treasure in your sackes, I had your money: and he brought forth Simeon to them.
24
So the man led them into Iosephs house, and gaue them water to wash their feete, and gaue their asses prouender.
25
And they made ready their present against Ioseph came at noone, (for they heard say, that they should eate bread there)
26
When Ioseph came home, they brought the present into the house to him, which was in their handes, and bowed downe to the grounde before him.
27
And he asked them of their prosperitie, and sayd, Is your father the olde man, of whome ye tolde me, in good health? is he yet aliue?
28
Who answered, Thy seruant our father is in good health, he is yet aliue: and they bowed downe, and made obeysance.
29
And he lifting vp his eyes, beheld his brother Beniamin his mothers sonne, and sayde, Is this your yonger brother, of whome ye tolde me? And he said, God be merciful vnto thee, my sone.
30
And Ioseph made haste (for his affection was inflamed towarde his brother, and sought where to weepe) and entred into his chamber, and wept there.
31
Afterward he washed his face, and came out, and refrained himselfe, and sayd, Set on meate.
32
And they prepared for him by himselfe, and for them by themselues, and for the Egyptians, which did eate with him, by themselues, because the Egyptians might not eate bread with the Ebrewes: for that was an abomination vnto the Egyptians.
33
So they sate before him: the eldest according vnto his age, and the yongest according vnto his youth. and the men marueiled among themselues.
34
And they tooke meases from before him, and sent to them: but Beniamins mease was fiue times so much as any of theirs: and they drunke, and had of the best drinke with him.