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The nine brothers paid Joseph for
the corn; and he told his servants to fill their sacks, and to give them
food to eat on the road. Then he told the servant to put the money
they had paid, into the sacks again secretly; and the brothers laid the
sacks upon their asses, and went away. When they came to the inn,
one man opened his sack, to give food to his ass, and there he saw his
money again; and when they came home, they all found their money put again
into the sacks; and they wondered very much how this could be. Jacob
was very sorry when he heard that Simeon was a prisoner in Egypt, and that
Benjamin was to go with his brothers; and he said, "My son shall not
go with you. Me have ye bereaved of my children; Joseph is not, and
Simeon is not; and ye will take Benjamin away." Reuben
answered, "Give him to me, I will bring him to thee
again." But Jacob would not let him go. When
all the corn was eaten, and Jacob and his sons had no more food, Jacob
said to his sons, "Go again to Egypt; buy us a little
food." But they answered, "We must not, we dare not go
without Benjamin; for the man solemnly commanded us to bring
him." Then Judah said, "Send the lad with me, and we will
go. I will be surety for him." Then Jacob remembered,
that the same gracious God who had kept him all his life, had power to
keep his dear child also; so at last he said, "If it must be so, go;
take a present for the man; fruit, and nuts, and honey, and spices; and
give him again the money you found in your sacks, and take more money for
the new corn, and go, and Benjamin may go with you; and God give you mercy
before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and
Benjamin." Then they all arose, and took Benjamin, and went to
Egypt again. Jacob was
alone now: but still God was with him, to keep and comfort
him. What a blessing it is to those who love God, that He is always
near them; His eye upon them; His hand around them! He can comfort
His people in all their sorrows, as He comforted Jacob in his
sorrow. He says, "I will never fail thee, nor forsake
thee." Joshua 1:5. When
Joseph saw Benjamin coming with his brothers, he said to his servant,
"Bring the men home; they shall dine with me to-day." So
the servant obeyed, and brought them all to Joseph's house, and talked
kindly to them, and gave them water, and washed their feet, and fed their
asses; and Simeon was sent to them out of prison. When Joseph came
home, his brothers gave him the present they had brought, and bowed before
him; but Joseph would not take their money. Then he asked, "Is
your father well?" And they said, "He is well."
Then he asked again, "Is this your youngest brother?" and he
looked very affectionately at Benjamin, and said, "God be gracious
unto thee, my son." The tears were in Joseph's eyes, but he did
not wish his brothers to see him weep; he went into his own room, and wept
there. It was love and thankfulness that made him weep. Then
he washed his face and went to them again, and told the servants to set on
bread. Then they made a feast, and Joseph sent messes to all his
brothers; but Benjamin's mess was five times larger than any of the
others; and "they drank and were merry with him." When
they had finished, Joseph said secretly to his servant, "Put the
men's corn-money into their sacks again; and take my silver cup, and put
it into Benjamin's sack." The servant obeyed; and in the
morning he sent them all away. When they were gone, Joseph told his
servant to run after the men, and accuse them of having stolen the cup,
the silver cup out of which his master drank. The man went quickly,
and soon overtook the brothers, and told them all Joseph had said.
The brothers wondered very much, for they knew they had stolen nothing,
and they said, "With whomsoever the cup is found, let him die, and we
will be slaves to my lord." So they all took down their sacks,
and the servant looked, and found the cup in Benjamin's sack, where he had
put it. Then the brothers rent their clothes, and went back again to
Joseph, and fell down before him. And Joseph said, "What is
this that you have done?" Judah answered, "What shall we
say? God has found out our iniquity: behold we are my lord's
servants." But Joseph said, "The man with whom the cup was
found, he shall be my servant; but go you in peace to your
father." Then Judah came near to Joseph, and said, "I am
surety for the lad unto my father: let me then abide, instead of the
lad, a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go with his brethren: for how
shall I go to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil
that shall come on my father." Then Joseph said to the
servants, "Go out from me." And every one went away, and
Joseph stood alone with his brothers. Then he wept aloud, and said,
"I am Joseph your brother whom ye sold into Egypt: is my father
yet alive?" His brothers could not answer, but Joseph spoke
very gently to them again, and said, "Do not be sorry, nor angry with
yourselves because you sold me into Egypt: for God sent me here to
preserve life. He has done wonders for me, and given me wisdom, to
lay up corn for the famine, that the people may not die. Hasten now,
and bring my father to me to Egypt; and I will nourish him and you, all
the years of famine. Tell him that I live, and that I am a rich and
happy man in Egypt; and that God has kept and blessed me all the years I
have lived here." Then he fell upon his brothers' necks, and
kissed them, and wept upon them; and they all talked and wept together. King
Pharaoh was glad to hear Joseph's brothers were come, and he sent a
present to Jacob, and wagons to bring him and all his family to
Egypt. Then Joseph gave clothes, and money, and food, to his
brothers, and sent him away. They went home rejoicing, and ran to
Jacob, and cried, "Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over
Egypt." But Jacob could not believe the good news, till they
showed him the wagons, and told him that Joseph had sent them to carry him
to Egypt; and then he said, "It is enough: Joseph my son is yet
alive; I will go and see him before I die." We
see now why Joseph, at first, appeared to harsh to his brothers: it
was to prove them for their good. When he found they were really
penitent and sincere, and just and true in what they did, he showed them
directly, how willingly he forgave them all. Let us learn, like
Joseph, to return good for evil. "If thine enemy hunger, feed
him." Romans 12:20.
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