From Ben-oni to Benjamin

Chapter 3: Joseph!

When they reached Egypt, they were taken to the lord's house. The other brothers were afraid and said, "It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys." So they came near to Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, and said, "Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand. We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks."

He said, "Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. The lord of the land came at noon, and they gave him the present. He asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." They bowed down in homage. Then he saw Benjamin, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? May God be gracious to you, my son." Then the man turned and ran out of the room.

Later, when he returned, the meal was served. After they were seated, Benjamin noticed something strange. "Hey, look at this."

"What, Benjamin?" Simeon asked impatiently.

"We're in order. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and me."

"You are right, Benjamin. And," here Reuben leaned closer to Simeon and whispered, "Benjamin had five times as much food as the rest of us!"

"That is strange." However, they left with grain after staying the night. But, not long after they left, they were overtaken by the man's steward, who said, "Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this."

They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

So he said, "Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent." Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city. As they returned, Benjamin whispered to Reuben, "You don't think I took it, do you?"

"No, Benjamin, but it got in there somehow, now didn't it?"

"Yes, but it was not by my hand."When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?"

So Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord's slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found."

But he said, "Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

Judah said, "Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant." He and the lord moved off, and Simeon hissed at Benjamin, "Now you really fixed it for us, didn't you?"

"I didn't take it."

Just then, the lord cried, "Have everyone go out from me." Then he started to cry loudly, and said, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" Benjamin's brothers looked aghast, but Benjamin was astonished. Could Joseph still be alive? Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished."' Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here." Then he hugged all of his brothers and kissed them, crying the whole time. Benjamin was happier than he had been in 22 years, and as Joseph hugged him, he said, "I've missed you."

"And I've missed you."