_And the years of scarcity began, and afflicted the land of Canaan and Syria_, and the brethren of Joseph came, _except Benjamin, to procure provision, having heard that the governor of Egypt gave food for its price_.[235] And they went in unto him, and he knew them; but they knew him not; _and they spake unto him in the Hebrew language; whereupon he said, as one who distrusted them, What hath brought you to my country? So they answered, For corn. But he said, Perhaps ye are spies. They replied, God preserve us_ [_from being spies_]! _He said, Then whence are ye? They answered, From the land of Canaan, and our father is Jacob, the prophet of God. He said, And hath he sons beside you? They answered, Yea: we were twelve; but the youngest of us went away, and perished in the desert, and he was the dearest of us unto him; and his uterine brother remained, and he retained him that he might console himself thereby for the loss of the other._[236] _And Joseph gave orders to lodge them, and to treat them generously._ And when he had furnished them with their provision, _and given them their full measure_, he said, Bring me your brother from your father, _namely, Benjamin, that I may know your veracity in that ye have said_. Do ye not see that I give full measure, and that I am the most hospitable of the receivers of guests? But if ye bring him not, there shall be no measuring _of corn_ for you from me, nor shall ye approach me.—They replied, We will solicit his father for him, and we will surely perform _that_. And he said unto his young men, Put their money,[237] _which they brought as the price of the corn_, in their sacks, that they may know it when they have returned to their family: peradventure they will return _to us; for they will not deem it lawful to keep it_.—And when they returned to their father, they said, O our father, the measuring [of corn] is denied us _if thou send not our brother unto him_; therefore send with us our brother, that we may obtain measure; and we will surely take care of him. He said, Shall I intrust you with him otherwise than as I intrusted you with his brother _Joseph_ before? But God is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of those who show mercy.—And when they opened their goods, they found their money had been returned unto them. They said, O our father, what desire we _of the, generosity of the king greater than this?_ This our money hath been returned unto us; and we will provide corn for our family, and will take care of our brother, and shall receive a camel-load more, _for our brother_. This is a quantity easy _unto the king, by reason of his munificence_.—He said, I will by no means send him with you until ye give me a solemn promise by God that ye will assuredly bring him back unto me unless _an inevitable and insuperable impediment_ encompass you. _And they complied with this his desire._ And when they had given him their solemn promise, he said, God is witness of what we say.