From Ben-oni to Benjamin
Disclaimer: I still own nothing.
Chapter 2: Grain
"Father! I see them! They are back!" Benjamin's voice died in his throat as he counted how many of his brothers he saw. He stopped back into the tent. "Father, there are only 9 brothers. Simeon is not there."
"What? Where is he?"
"I do not know." The brothers lifted the tent flap and came in. "Father!The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country. But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.' The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go. But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.'" Reuben told his father.
"What? Yet he let you buy the grain? That is strange. Well, go take your grain to the kitchen." The boys did as their father said, Benjamin trailing them. The 9 opened their bags of grain, only to find their money inside. "What?" Judah said, astonished. He noticed Benjamin for the first time. "Benjamin, go get Father."
The now-39-year-old turned and ran back into the tent. "Father, there is something you need to see."
As soon as Israel saw the money, he said, "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me."
Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you."
But Jacob said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow."
Soon, the grain was gone. Their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food."
Judah spoke to him, however, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.' If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you do 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.'"
Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had another brother?"
But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' So weanswered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"
Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever. For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice."
Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
