⁸ Put him into my care and make me responsible for him: if I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

² And he said, I have had news that there is grain in Egypt: go down there and get grain for us, so that life and not death may be ours.

¹⁷ Life and not death will be my part, and I will give out the story of the works of the Lord.

²¹ Then I gave orders for a time of going without food, there by the river Ahava, so that we might make ourselves low before our God in prayer, requesting from him a straight way for us and for our little ones and for all our substance.

¹³ And one of his servants said in answer, Send men and let them take five of the horses which we still have in the town; if they keep their lives they will be the same as those of Israel who are still living here; if they come to their death they will be the same as all those of Israel who have gone to destruction: let us send and see.

⁴ If we say, We will go into the town, there is no food in the town, and we will come to our end there; and if we go on waiting here, death will come to us. Come then, let us give ourselves up to the army of Aram: if they let us go on living, then life will be ours; and if they put us to death, then death will be ours.

⁶ Let life not death be Reuben's, let not the number of his men be small.

³¹ And your little ones, whom you said would come into strange hands, I will take in, and they will see the land which you would not have.

¹² Give honour to your father and to your mother, so that your life may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

²¹ So now, have no fear: for I will take care of you and your little ones. So he gave them comfort with kind words.

⁸ And all the family of Joseph, and his brothers and his father's people: only their little ones and their flocks and herds they did not take with them from the land of Goshen.

¹⁹ And say to them, This you are to do: take carts from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and get your father and come back.

²⁶ And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.

³⁸ And he said, I will not let my son go down with you; for his brother is dead and he is all I have: if evil overtakes him on the journey, then through you will my grey head go down to the underworld in sorrow.