And he said, "Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your
father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money."
And he brought Simeon out to them. And the man brought the men into
Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and
he gave their asses provender. And they made ready the present for
Joseph's coming at noon: for they heard that they should eat there.
And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in
their hand into the house, and bowed {117} down themselves to him to
the earth. And he asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your
father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?" and they
said, "Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive." And they
bowed the head, and made obeisance.
And he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's
son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spoke unto
me?" And he said, "God be gracious unto thee, my son."
And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he
sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
And he washed his face and came out; and he refrained himself, and
said, "Set on food."
And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and
for 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. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to
his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men
marveled one with another. And he took of the food and sent portions
to them from before him: but Benjamin's portion was five times as much
as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men's
sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money
in his sack's mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's
mouth of the youngest, and his corn money."
{118}
And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as
the morning was light the men were sent away, they and their asses.
And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off,
Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men; and when thou
dost overtake them, say to them, 'Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for
good? Is not this the cup from which my lord drinketh, and whereby he
indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.'"
And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words. And they
said unto him, "Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? God
forbid that thy servants should do such a thing. Behold, the money,
which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of
the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house
silver or gold? With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him
die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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