Genesis 43 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Now the famine kept getting worse across the land.

When they had eaten through all the grain they'd brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little more food."

But Judah told him straight, "The man warned us — and he meant it — 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"

"If you're willing to send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy food for you."

"But if you won't send him, we won't go. Because the man told us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"

Israel said, "Why did you do this to me? Why did you even tell the man you had another brother?"

They answered, "The man kept questioning us specifically about our family — 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We just answered his questions. How could we have possibly known he'd say, 'Bring your brother down here'?"

Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me, and we'll get up and go — so that we can survive and not die, all of us — you, us, and our children too."

"I myself will guarantee his safety. You can hold me personally responsible. If I don't bring him back to you and set him right here in front of you, I'll bear the guilt for the rest of my life."

"If we hadn't dragged our feet like this, we could have already gone and come back twice by now."

Then their father Israel said to them, "If it has to be this way, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags — a little balm, a little honey, gum, resin, pistachios, and almonds."

"Take double the money with you. Return the money that was put back in the mouths of your sacks — it may have been a mistake."

"Take your brother too, and get up and go back to the man."

"And may El Shaddai give you compassion in the man's presence, so that he releases your other brother and Benjamin. As for me — if I'm to lose my children, then I lose them."

So the men took the gifts, double the money, and Benjamin. They got up, went down to Egypt, and presented themselves before Joseph.

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the man in charge of his household, "Bring these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare a meal — these men will eat with me at noon."

The man did exactly as Joseph said and brought the men to Joseph's house.

The men were terrified when they were brought to Joseph's house. They said, "It's because of the money that was returned in our sacks last time — he's going to attack us, overpower us, take us as slaves, and seize our donkeys!"

So they approached the man in charge of Joseph's household and spoke to him at the entrance of the house.

"Please, sir," they said, "we came down the first time specifically to buy food."

"But when we stopped for the night and opened our sacks, there was each man's money right at the top of his sack — our money, the full amount. So we've brought it back with us."

"And we've brought additional money to buy food. We have no idea who put our money back in our sacks."

He said, "Relax. Don't be afraid. Your God — the God of your father — must have put treasure in your sacks. I received your payment." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

The man brought the brothers into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided feed for their donkeys.

They prepared their gifts for when Joseph would arrive at noon, because they'd heard they would be eating there.

When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down to the ground before him.

He asked them how they were doing, and then said, "How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?"

They answered, "Your servant, our father, is doing well. He's still alive." And they bowed low in respect.

When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin — his own mother's son — he said, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And then he said, "May God show you favor, my son."

Joseph rushed out because his compassion for his brother was overwhelming him, and he was about to break down. He went into his private room and cried there.

Then he washed his face, came back out, composed himself, and said, "Serve the food."

They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves — because Egyptians won't eat with Hebrews. That's offensive to them.

They were seated in front of him in order — the firstborn in the place of honor down to the youngest in the last seat — and the men stared at each other in complete disbelief.

Portions were served to them from Joseph's own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times larger than anyone else's. So they drank and celebrated with him.