Mercy from the Lord be upon thee, my son. And Joseph made haste, for his bowels were commoved over his brother, and he sought (where) to weep; and he entered into the chamber, the place of sleeping, and wept there. And he washed his face, and came out, and was comforted, and said, Put on bread; and they set for him alone, and for them alone, and for the Mizraee who ate with him, alone. For the Mizraee might not eat bread with the Hivraee, because the animals that the Mizraee worshipped the Hivraee did eat. And they reclined before him, the chief according to his chiefship, and the less according to his minority; and the men wondered, each man at his companion. And portions were brought from him, and set before them, and greater was Benjamin's portion than the portions of them all, five portions. And they drank and were merry with him."

XLIV. And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's bags with corn as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his baggage. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the youngest one's baggage, and his purchase-money. And he did according to Joseph's word which he spake. The morning lightened, and the men were sent away, they and their asses. They had not gone far from the city, when Joseph said to him who was set over his house, Arise, follow after the men, and overtake them, and say to them, Why have you rendered evil for good? Is it not this from which my lord drinketh, and, behold, by which inquiring he inquireth? You have done the thing that is evil. And he overtook them, and spake with them these

3

Sam. Vers., "Elohim be propitious to thee, my son."

words. And they said, Why does my lord speak these words? Be it far from thy servants to do according to this thing! Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our baggages we brought to thee again from the land of Kenaan; how then should we steal from the house of thy lord vessels of silver, or vessels of gold? With whomsoever of thy servants it is found, let him die; and we also will be servants to my lord. And he said, According to your words, so let it be. With whomsoever it is found, he shall be my servant, but you will be acquitted. And they made haste, and brought down every man his baggage to the ground; and every man opened his baggage. And he searched, beginning with the greatest and finishing with the least; and the chalice was found in the baggage of Benjamin. And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. And Jehuda entered and his brothers into Joseph's house, for he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, What work is this which you have done? Did you not know that a man like me divining can divine? And Jehuda said to him, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? How shall we be justified? Before the lord there is sin found in thy servants. Behold, we are the servants of my lord; we also and he in whose hand the chalice hath been found. But he said, Far be it from me to do so: the man in whose hand the chalice has been found shall be my servant; but go you up in peace to your father.

SECTION XI.

VAYIGGASH ALAIF YEHUDAH.

And Jehuda came near to him and said, We beseech my lord, let thy servant speak a word before my lord, and let not thine anger be great with thy servant; for as Pharoh so art thou. My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother? And we told my lord, We have an aged father, and the youngest (son) is the son of his old age; his brother is dead; and he only remains of his mother, and his father loves him. And thou saidst to thy servants, Bring him down to me, and let me set mine eyes upon him. And we told my lord, His father cannot part with the youth; for if our father should part with him, he would die. And thou saidst to thy servants, If your youngest brother come not down with you, you shall not see my face again. And it was when we had gone up to our father, we told him these words of my lord. And our father said to us, Return, and buy us a little corn. And we said, We cannot go down : if our youngest brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face unless our youngest brother go down with us. And thy servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bare me two (sons). One went forth from me, and I have said, Dying he is dead; and I have not beheld him since. this one also from me, and death will bring down my age with evil now, when I come to thy servant my father, and the youth be not with us, and his soul loveth him as his (own) soul; when he seeth that the youth is not with us, he will die; and thy servant will have brought down.

And if you take happen to him, you unto sheol. And

the age of thy servant our father with mourning unto Sheol. For thy servant was surety for the youth with our father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, let my father hold me guilty all the days. And now let thy servant remain instead of the youth, as the servant of my lord, and let the youth go up with his brothers. For how can I go up to my father, and the youth be not with me?—lest I should see the evil that will come upon my father!

XLV. And Joseph was not able to sustain all that was being upon him; and he cried, Let every man go out from me; and no man stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brethren. And he gave forth his voice with weeping; and the Mizraee heard, and a man of Pharoh's house heard. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph! Is my father yet living? And his brethren were not able to answer him a word, for they were confounded before him. And Joseph said to his brothers, Come near now to me. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Mizraim. And now do not be troubled, and let it not be afflictive in your eyes that you sold me hither; for to sustain life did the Lord send me before you. For these two years hath famine been in the land, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither seed nor harvest. And the Lord the earth, and

sent me before you to set a remnant in to keep you alive by a great deliverance. And now, it was not you who sent me hither, but (it was) from before the Lord, who hath set me to be a father unto Pharoh, and to rule all the men of his house, holding power over all the land of Mizraim. Hasten, (then,) and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, The Lord hath set me ruler over the Sam. Vers., "be not afflicted." 5 Sam. Vers., <c a friend."

6

Mizraim: come down to me, delay not, and thous halt dwell in the land of Goshen, and be near me, thou, and thy sons, and thy sons' children, and thy sheep and thy oxen, and all that thou hast. And I will nourish thee7 there; for there are yet five years of famine, lest thou, and the men of thy house, and all that thou hast, be wasted away. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that in your language I speak with you. And you will show my father all my glory in Mizraim, and all that you see; and make haste, and bring down my father hither. And he fell upon the neck of Benjamin his brother, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers, and wept over them; and afterward his brothers discoursed with him. And a voice was heard in the house of Pharoh, saying, The brothers of Joseph And it was pleasing in the eyes of Pharoh, and in the eyes of his servants. And Pharoh said to Joseph, Tell my brethren, Do this; lade your beasts and go; carry into the land of Kenaan; and take your father and the men of your house and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Mizraim, and you shall eat the good of the land. And (now) thou art commanded, this do. Take to you out of the land of Mizraim waggons for your children, and your wives; and bring your father, and come. And let not your eye look wistfully upon your furniture; for the good of all the land of Mizraim is your own. And the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them waggons, according to the word of Pharoh, and he gave them provisions for the way. And he gave to every one of them vestments for wearing; and to Benjamin gave he three hundred shekels of silver, and five vestments for

are come.

6 Sam. Vers., "stand not."

7 Sam. Vers., "I will give thee sufficiency."