And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when they had
eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father
said unto them, "Go again, buy us a little food."
And Judah spake 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."
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 straitly concerning ourselves, and
concerning our kindred, saying, 'Is your father yet alive? have ye
another brother?' and we told him according to the tenor 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 God 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."