Day 14: Genesis 43-46

Benjamin Goes to Egypt, Joseph Reveals Himself, & Jacob Goes to Egypt

Genesis 43

1 The famine was severe in the land.

2 It happened, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.”

3 Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’

4 If you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy you food,

5 but if you won’t send him, we won’t go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?”

7 They said, “The man asked directly about ourselves and about our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’”

8 Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.

9 I’ll be collateral for him. From my hand you shall require him. If I don’t bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever,

10 for if we hadn’t delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now.”

11 Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man: a little balm, a little honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds;

12 and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.

13 Take also your brother, arise, and return to the man.

14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

15 The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin, and rose up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and make ready, for the men will dine with me at noon.”

17 The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house.

18 The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time, we are brought in, that he may attack us, fall on us, and take us for slaves, and our donkeys.”

19 They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down indeed the first time to buy food.

21 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand.

22 We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.”

23 He said, “Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money.” He brought Simeon out to them.

24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder.

25 They made ready the present for Joseph against his coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to the earth before him.

27 He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?”

28 They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed the head, and did homage.

29 He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”

30 Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother, and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there.

31 He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.”

32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians couldn’t eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another.

34 Portions were taken to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.

Genesis 44

1 He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, tell them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good?

5 Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”

6 He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

8 Behold, the money which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house?

9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s servants.”

10 He said, “Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant, and you shall be blameless.”

11 Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

12 He searched, beginning with the eldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?”

16 Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”

17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant, for you are even as Pharaoh.

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’

20 We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’

21 You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

24 It happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25 Our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food.’

26 We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we’ll go down, for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27 Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons:

28 and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces,” and I haven’t seen him since.

29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’

30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy’s life,

31 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more with us, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.

32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’

33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s servant, and let the boy go up with his brothers.

34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy is not with me? Lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”

Genesis 45

1 Then Joseph couldn’t control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, “Cause everyone to go out from me!” No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

2 He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.

3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Does my father still live?”

His brothers couldn’t answer him; for they were terrified at his presence.

4 Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.”

They came near. He said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

5 Now don’t be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.

7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive for a great deliverance.

8 So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

9 Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t delay.

10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you, your children, your children’s children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

11 There I will nourish you, for there are yet five years of famine, lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have.”’

12 Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.

13 You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father down here.”

14 He fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.

15 He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.

16 The report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: load your animals, go, travel to the land of Canaan.

18 Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’

19 Now you are commanded, ‘Do this: take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

20 Also, don’t concern yourselves about your belongings, for the good of all of the land of Egypt is yours.’”

21 The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

22 He gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.

23 To his father he sent the following: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way.

24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “See that you don’t quarrel on the way!”

25 They went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.

26 They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t believe them.

27 They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived.

28 Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Genesis 46

1 Israel traveled with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac.

2 God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”

He said, “Here I am.”

3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation.

4 I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you up again. Joseph will close your eyes.”

5 Jacob rose up from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

6 They took their livestock, and their possessions, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt—Jacob and all his offspring with him,

7 his sons and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and he brought all his offspring with him into Egypt.

8 These are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt: Jacob and his sons. Jacob’s firstborn, Reuben.

9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zerah, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.

14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three.

16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.

18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob, even sixteen souls.

19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

20 To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.

21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22 These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.

23 The son of Dan: Hushim.

24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob: all the souls were seven.

26 All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct offspring, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were sixty-six.

27 The sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

28 He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen.

29 Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a long time.

30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.”

31 Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father’s household, “I will go up, and tell Pharaoh, and will tell him, ‘My brothers, and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

32 These men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.’

33 It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

34 that you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Scripture: World English Bible (WEB), public domain.