Part 135 (1/2)

And it came to pa.s.s as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and {114} when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their father said unto them, ”Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.”

And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying, ”Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.” And he said, ”My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left: if mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.”

JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS.

_Jacob at First Refuses, but at Length Consents, to Let Benjamin Go.

Joseph Places the Money in the Sacks. He Threatens the Brothers with Punishment. He tells His Brothers Who He Is, Forgives Them, and Takes Them Into His Favor_.

And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pa.s.s, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, ”Go again, buy us a little food.”

And Judah spoke unto him, saying, ”The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, 'Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.' If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, 'Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.'”

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And Israel said, ”Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?”

And they said, ”The man asked strictly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, 'Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother?' and we told him according to the nature of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?”

And Judah said unto 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 also our little ones. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.”

And their father Israel said unto them, ”If it be so now, do this; take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: and G.o.d Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin.

And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And when {116} Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, ”Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at noon.”

And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, ”Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our a.s.ses.”

And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house, and said, ”Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: and it came to pa.s.s, when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food: we know not who put our money in our sacks.”

And he said, ”Peace be to you, fear not: your G.o.d, and the G.o.d of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money.”

And he brought Simeon out to them. And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their a.s.ses provender. And they made ready the present for Joseph's coming at noon: for they heard that they should eat there.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed {117} down themselves to him to the earth. And he asked them of their welfare, and said, ”Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?” and they said, ”Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive.” And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.

And he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said, ”Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spoke unto me?” And he said, ”G.o.d be gracious unto thee, my son.”

And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

And he washed his face and came out; and he refrained himself, and said, ”Set on food.”

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 could not eat with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one with another. And he took of the food and sent portions to them from before him: but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, ”Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.”

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And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning was light the men were sent away, they and their a.s.ses.

And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, ”Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say to them, 'Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Is not this the cup from which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.'”