_One should never forget his duty to his parents, and brothers,
especially in times of prosperity._
Then Joseph commanded his servants to fill the men’s sacks with
food, and to put every man’s money in the sack’s mouth. He also
told them to put his own silver cup in the sack of Benjamin, and to
let them depart.
Early next morning the brothers saddled their mules and started
home with the sacks of corn. Hardly had they gotten on their way,
before Joseph sent his men after them to search them and to charge
them with taking the money and also his silver cup.
The brothers were greatly afraid when their sacks were opened and
they saw the money and the silver cup. When they were brought
before Joseph they fell down and protested their innocence. Joseph
pretended to be very stern with them and accused them of stealing,
and said he would keep Benjamin with him since it was in Benjamin’s
sack that the cup was found, and the others might go on back to
their father.
Then Judah spoke up and said, “My lord, the lad is beloved of his
father, who is old, and if we go not back with him, our father will
surely die. His life is bound up in the lad’s life, for one son is
dead and he mourned for him. Surely, if the lad stay here and we go
back without him the gray hairs of the father will be brought down
with sorrow to the grave. I pray thee, therefore, my lord, let the
lad go, and let me be bound in his place.”
Then Joseph could not deceive his brothers any longer. He made all
others leave the room and when he was alone with his brothers, he
said to them, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.”
He then kissed Benjamin, and all his brethren, and talked with
them, and soon quieted their fears.
They told Joseph all about their father, and the people in Canaan.
Then Joseph told them to hasten back and bring Jacob to Egypt. They
hurried home to their father and told:
“Joseph is yet alive and is governor over all the land of Egypt.”
But Jacob could not believe it, until he saw the rich presents
which Joseph had sent and heard more from his sons. Then he said:
“It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him
before I die.”
So the old Jacob, and his sons, and their wives, with all their
cattle and household goods, journeyed to Egypt in the wagons
which Joseph had sent. Joseph met his father and gave him and his
brothers a rich part of Egypt to live in. And thus it was that the
people of Israel came to live in Egypt.