ion of an
oath, saying: You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest
brother with you.

43:4. If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together,
and will buy necessaries for thee.

43:5. But if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have
often said, declared unto us, saying: You shall not see my face without
your youngest brother.

43:6. Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery, in that you
told him you had also another brother.

43:7. But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our
kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him
regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would
say: Bring hither your brother with you?

43:8. And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set
forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish.

43:9. I take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him
again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for
ever.

43:10. If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second
time.

43:11. Then Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you
will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry
down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh,
turpentine, and almonds.

Balm... Literally rosin, resinae; but here by that name is meant balm.

43:12. And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in
your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake.

43:13. And take also your brother, and go to the man.

43:14. And may my almighty God make him favourable to you: and send back
with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me
I shall be desolate without children.

43:15. So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and
went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

43:16. And when he had seen them, and Benjamin with them, he commanded
the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and
kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at
noon.

43:17. He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house.

43:18. And they being much afraid, said there one to another: Because of
the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are
brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by
violence make slaves of us and our asses.

43:19. Whe