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mother’s love. He shows how deeply he has felt the loss of Joseph.
But want presses upon Jacob and his children, and their households
are calling for food. Jacob requests his sons to go again into Egypt
and buy food. Judah says to his father that he cannot go down unless
Benjamin is with them; for “the man did solemnly protest unto us,
saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.”
Judah assures his father that he will be surety for his brother, that if
he would send him with them they would go, and if he did not bring
Benjamin back, he would bear the blame of it forever.
He tells his father that while they had been lingering, because of
his unwillingness to send Benjamin, they could have journeyed to
Egypt and returned again. Jacob feels compelled to permit his son
Benjamin to go with his brethren. He also sent a present to the ruler,
hoping therewith to obtain his favor. He also directed his sons to take
double money, and return the money found in their sacks; for it might
have been placed there by mistake. He says to them, “Take also your
brother, and arise, go again unto the man.”
As his sons were about to leave him to go on their doubtful journey,
their aged father arose, and, while standing in their midst, raised
his hands to heaven, and entreated the Lord to go with them, and
pronounced upon them a gracious benediction. “And God Almighty
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give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other
brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
“And the men took that present, and they took double money in
their hand, and Benjamin, and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and
stood before Joseph.” And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he
could scarcely restrain his brotherly feelings of love. He gave direction
to make preparation for his brethren to dine with him. When they were
taken into Joseph’s house they were afraid that it was for the purpose
of calling them to account, because of the money found in their sacks.
And they thought that it might have been intentionally placed there for
the purpose of finding occasion against them to make them slaves, and
that they were brought into the ruler’s house to better accomplish this
object. They sought to make friends with the steward of the house, and
made known to him that they had found their money in the mouths of
their sacks, fearing the ruler who had treated them so roughly, would
accuse them of wrong in regard to the matter. They informed the
steward that they had brought back the money found in their sacks, in