When Jacob’s sons approached their home, and the patriarch came forth to meet them, he quickly missed the face of Simeon, and he asked, “Where is Simeon, your brother?”
Then the brothers told their father all that had happened to them in Egypt, and Jacob said to them: “What is this that ye have done to me? Your brother Joseph I sent to ye to inquire of your welfare, and his face I looked upon no more,—his bloody garments ye brought me, saying, ‘Lo, the wild beasts of the forest have destroyed thy son.’ Simeon I sent with ye to purchase food, and ye tell me that he is imprisoned in a cruel land; and now Benjamin ye wish to take also,—for Joseph and for Benjamin ye would bring my grey hairs in sorrow to the grave. No, my son shall not go with ye.”
And Reuben said, “The lives of my two sons I place in your hands; if we do not bring back Benjamin safely to thee, their lives shall prove the forfeit.”
But Jacob said, “Neither shall ye return again to Egypt; stay here, for my son shall not go with ye, to die as did his brother.”
And Judah said to his brothers, “Urge him no more at present. Let us wait until these provisions have been consumed, and when cruel want and hunger press us he will consent to what we ask.”
And it came to pass when the provisions were gone, that the sons of his children gathered around Jacob and cried to him, “Oh, give us bread.”
And the heart of Jacob was torn with anguish at the cry, and summoning his sons, he said to them, “Hear ye not the voices of your children crying for food? ‘Give us bread,’ they cried to me, and I—I have none to give them. Get ye down to Egypt, I pray ye, and buy us a little food.”
Then Judah answered, and said to his father, “If thou wilt send Benjamin with us, we will go,—otherwise we cannot. The King of Egypt is a mighty potentate; we dare not trifle with him. Should we return to Egypt, and our youngest brother be not with us, lo, he would destroy us all. Our father, we cannot disobey this King; greater even is he than Abimelech, the Philistine. Thou hast not seen, as we have, his throne, his palace, his myriads of officers; thou hast not witnessed, as have we, his wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. God has blessed him with unequalled gifts; greater is he than all on earth beside. Our names he told us; what had happened to us in our youth; he inquired of thee, saying, ‘Is your father yet alive? Are all things well with him?’ Thou hast not heard, as we have, of his power; over his people he is supreme; upon his word they go out, and upon his word they come in; his word governs, and the voice of his master, Pharaoh, is not required. Oh, my father, send the lad,—we cannot go without him; if thou refusest, we must see our children die with hunger.”
And Jacob said, in his sorrow: “Why did ye tell the man ye had a brother? Oh, evil, evil is this thing which ye have done!” “Give the boy into my hands,” said Judah, “and let us go down to Egypt and buy the corn. If I do not return him safely to thee, a sinner against my father shall I be considered all my days. Our children weep before thee, and we have naught to stay their cries; have mercy on them, send our brother with us. Hast thou not often told us of the mercy which our God has promised to thee? Lo, He will protect thy son and return him to thee safely. Pray unto the Lord for our sakes, entreat Him to give us grace and favour in the eyes of Egypt’s prince. Lo, had we not tarried thus long, we should have now been back with food; yea, back twice to thee, and with thy son in safety.”
And Jacob answered: “The Lord God give you grace in the eyes of the King and officers of Egypt. In Him will I put my trust. Arise, go unto the man, take with ye gifts, the best the land affords; the Lord will be with ye, and ye shall bring back to me your brothers, Benjamin and Simeon.”