Judah Becomes Surety for Benjamin

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But the famine was severe in the land;

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so when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little food."

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Y'hudah said to him, "The man expressly warned us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'

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If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food;

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but if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"

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Isra'el said, "Why did you bring such trouble my way by telling the man you had another brother?"

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They answered, "The man kept questioning us about ourselves and about our kinsmen. He asked, 'Is your father still alive?''Do you have another brother?' and we answered according to the literal meaning of his questions. How were we to know he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"

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Y'hudah said to Isra'el his father, "Send the boy with me; and we will make preparations and leave; so that we may stay alive and not die, both we and you, and also our little ones.

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I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me responsible. If I fail to bring him to you and present him to your face, let me bear the blame forever.

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Except for our lengthy delay, we would have been there again by now."

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Their father Isra'el answered them, "If that's how it is, do this: take in your containers some of the land's best products, and bring the man a gift - some healing resin, a little honey, aromatic gum, opium, pistachio nuts and almonds.

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Take twice the amount of money with you; and return the money that came back with you in your packs - it could have been an oversight.

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Yes, and take your brother too; and get ready; and go again to the man.

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May El Shaddai give you favor in the man's sight, so that he will release to you your other brother as well as Binyamin. As for me, if I must lose my children, lose them I will."

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