New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now the famine was severe in the land.
1
Now the land was in bitter need of food.
2 And when they had eaten up the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little more food."
2
And when the grain which they had got in Egypt was all used up, their father said to them, Go again and get us a little food.
3 But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, "You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.'
3
And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food;
4
If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get 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.' "
5
But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not with you.
6 Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?"
6
And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?
7 They replied, "The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, "Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, "Bring your brother down'?"
7
And they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?
8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me, and let us be on our way, so that we may live and not die—you and we and also our little ones.
8
Then Judah said to Israel, his father, Send the boy with me, and let us be up and going, so that we and you and our little ones may not come to destruction.
9 I myself will be surety for him; you can hold me accountable for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
9
Put him into my care and make me responsible for him: if I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.
10 If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice."
10
Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.
11 Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry them down as a present to the man—a little balm and a little honey, gum, resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
11
Then their father Israel said to them, If it has to be so, then do this: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels to give the man, perfumes and honey and spices and nuts:
12 Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the top of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.
12
And take twice as much money with you; that is to say, take back the money which was put in your bags, for it may have been an error;
13 Take your brother also, and be on your way again to the man;
13
And take your brother and go back to the man:
14 may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, so that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
14
And may God, the Ruler of all, give you mercy before the man, so that he may give you back your other brother and Benjamin. If my children are to be taken from me; there is no help for it.
15 So the men took the present, and they took double the money with them, as well as Benjamin. Then they went on their way down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
15
So they took what their father said for the man, and twice as much money in their hands, and Benjamin, and went on their journey to Egypt, and came before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon."
16
And when Joseph saw Benjamin, he said to his chief servant, Take these men into my house, and make ready a meal, for they will take food with me in the middle of the day.
17 The man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph's house.
17
And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.
18 Now the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, "It is because of the money, replaced in our sacks the first time, that we have been brought in, so that he may have an opportunity to fall upon us, to make slaves of us and take our donkeys."
18
Now the men were full of fear because they had been taken into Joseph's house and they said, It is because of the money which was put back in our bags the first time; he is looking for something against us, so that he may come down on us and take us and our asses for his use.
19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the entrance to the house.
19
So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,
20 They said, "Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food;
20
And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;
21 and when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each one's money in the top of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it back with us.
21
And when we came to our night's resting-place, on opening our bags we saw that every man's money was in the mouth of his bag, all our money in full weight: and we have it with us to give it back;
22 Moreover we have brought down with us additional money to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks."
22
As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.
23 He replied, "Rest assured, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.
23
Then the servant said, Peace be with you: have no fear: your God, even the God of your father, has put wealth in your bags for you: I had your money. Then he let Simeon come out to them.
24 When the steward had brought the men into Joseph's house, and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder,
24
And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.
25 they made the present ready for Joseph's coming at noon, for they had heard that they would dine there.
25
And they got ready the things for Joseph before he came in the middle of the day: for word was given to them that they were to have a meal there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present that they had carried into the house, and bowed to the ground before him.
26
And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.
27 He inquired about their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"
27
And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?
28 They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And they bowed their heads and did obeisance.
28
And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.
29 Then he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!"
29
Then, lifting up his eyes, he saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and he said, Is this your youngest brother of whom you gave me word? And he said, God be good to you, my son.
30 With that, Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep. So he went into a private room and wept there.
30
Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.
31 Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, "Serve the meal."
31
Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.
32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and 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.
32
And they put a meal ready for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not take food with the Hebrews, for that would make them unclean.
33 When they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, the men looked at one another in amazement.
33
And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.
34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
34
And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.