The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 19
The Brothers Return to Canaan
25Then Joseph tgave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to urestore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. vThus he did for them.
26So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there.
27But as wone of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack.
28So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts 5failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying:
30“The man who is lord of the land xspoke 6roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
31“But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.
32‘We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’
33“Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, y‘By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone.
34‘And bring your zyoungest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may atrade in the land.”’
35Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly beach man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
36And Jacob their father said to them, “You have cbereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take dBenjamin. All these things are against me.”
37Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”
38But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for ehis brother is dead, and he is left alone. fIf any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would gbring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”
Genesis 43
Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin
1Now the famine was asevere in the land.
2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go bback, buy us a little food.”
3But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your cbrother is with you.’
4“If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.
5“But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.”’
6And Israel said, “Why did you deal so 1wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”
7But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may dlive and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.
9“I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. eIf I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
10“For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”
11And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and fcarry down a present for the man—a little gbalm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.
12“Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money hthat was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.
13“Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man.
14“And may God iAlmighty jgive you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. kIf I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”
15So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went ldown to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph.
16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the msteward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter 2an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.”
17Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18Now the men were nafraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may 3make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”
19When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house,
20and said, “O sir, owe indeed came down the first time to buy food;
21“but pit happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand.
22“And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought qSimeon out to them.
24So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and rgave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.
25Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.
26And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and sbowed down before him to the earth.
27Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man tof whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” uAnd they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.
29Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, vhis mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother wof whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”
30Now xhis heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and ywept there.
31Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the zbread.”
32So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the aHebrews, for that is ban abomination to the Egyptians.
33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his cbirthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another.
34Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was dfive times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
Genesis 44
Joseph’s Cup
1And he commanded 1the asteward of his house, saying, b“Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.
2“Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
3As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
4When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you crepaid evil for good?
> 5‘Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.”’
6So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.
7And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing.
8“Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan dthe money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?
9“With whomever of your servants it is found, elet him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
10And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.”
11Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.
12So he searched. He began with the oldest and 2left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13Then they ftore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they gfell before him on the ground.
15And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”
16Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has hfound out the iniquity of your servants; here iwe are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”
17But he said, j“Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Judah Intercedes for Benjamin
18Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and kdo not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh.
19“My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’
20“And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and la child of his old age, who is young; his brother is mdead, and he nalone is left of his mother’s children, and his ofather loves him.’
21“Then you said to your servants, p‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
22“And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23“But you said to your servants, q‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’
24“So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.
25“And rour father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’
26“But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27“Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that smy wife bore me two sons;
28‘and the one went out from me, and I said, t“Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since.
29‘But if you utake this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’
30“Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since vhis life is bound up in the lad’s life,
31“it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32“For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, w‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’
33“Now therefore, please xlet your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.
34“For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would 3come upon my father?”
Genesis 45
Joseph Revealed to His Brothers
1Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him awhile Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2And he bwept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.
3Then Joseph said to his brothers, c“I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.
4And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, dwhom you sold into Egypt.
5“But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; efor God sent me before you to preserve life.
6“For these two years the ffamine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.
7“And God gsent me before you to preserve a 1posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8“So now it was not you who sent me here, but hGod; and He has made me ia father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a jruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not 2tarry.
10k“You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.
11“There I will lprovide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’
12“And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is mmy mouth that speaks to you.
13“So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and nbring my father down here.”
14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.
15Moreover he okissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
16Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.
17And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan.
18‘Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat pthe 3fat of the land.
19‘Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come.
20‘Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them qcarts,4 according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey.
22He gave to all of them, to each man, rchanges of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and sfive changes of garments.
23And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey.
24So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”
25Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father.
26And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” tAnd Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them.
27But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit uof Jacob their father revived.
28Then Israel said, “It is
enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Genesis 46
Jacob’s Journey to Egypt
(Ex. 6:14–25)
1So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to aBeersheba, and offered sacrifices bto the God of his father Isaac.
2Then God spoke to Israel cin the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.”
3So He said, “I am God, dthe God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will emake of you a great nation there.
4f“I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely gbring you up again; and hJoseph 1will put his hand on your eyes.”
5Then iJacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the 2carts jwhich Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, kJacob and all his descendants with him.
7His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.
8Now lthese were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: mReuben was Jacob’s firstborn.
9The nsons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10oThe sons of Simeon were 3Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, 4Jachin, 5Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11The sons of pLevi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12The sons of qJudah were rEr, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). sThe sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
13The sons of Issachar were Tola, 6Puvah, 7Job, and Shimron.
14The tsons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15These were the usons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three.
16The sons of Gad were 8Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, 9Ezbon, Eri, 10Arodi, and Areli.
17vThe sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel.