youngest brother, I shall know that you are not spies, and I will release the brother whom I hold in prison, and you may then buy whatever grain you need and take it back to your home.'

Then they told him how each had found his money in the mouth of his sack, and how strange it all was.

Jacob was astonished and much grieved when he heard their story, and cried out to them, "You have made me without children; Joseph is gone and lost, Simeon is bound in prison, and now you will take Benjamin from me. Why do all these evils come upon me?"

Judah answered him, "Take my two sons and slay them, if I do not bring Benjamin back again to you. Give him to me in my hands, and I will certainly restore him again to you."

But the father answered, "My son shall not go with you. His brother is dead, and Benjamin alone is now left with me. If any misfortune should fall upon him, then will my gray hair go down in sorrow to the grave."

Still famine and hunger increased in the land of Canaan, and in time the corn which the brothers had brought from Egypt was consumed, and Jacob said again to his sons, "Go back into Egypt and buy for us more wheat, that we may not perish.'

Judah answered, "That man said to us, swearing by great oaths, 'You shall not see me again nor come into my presence unless you bring your youngest brother with you.'

"Therefore, if you will send Benjamin with us, we will go together and buy for us the provisions that are necessary. If you will not let us have your son we will not go, for the prince said, as we have often

told you, if we bring not our youngest brother with us, we shall not see the ruler's face."

Jacob said to them, "Why have you led me into this misery? Why did you tell him that you had another brother?"

"The prince asked of us, one by one," they answered, "whether we had another brother, who our father was, and all about us. We answered him truthfully, as he asked, for we did not know what he would say, or that he would tell us to bring our brother with us. Give us now the child, that we may go forth and live, that neither we nor our children may perish from hunger. If we bring the boy not back with us, then shall we be guilty of sin. If you had not delayed us, we might have gone there and returned by this time."

Then Jacob, their father, said to them, "If it be as necessary as you say, do as you wish; but take with you the best fruits that we have and present them to that prince as gifts. Take some raisins and honey, some storax, terebinth and dates. Take with you, too, double money, and also the same money that you found in your sacks, lest there be any mistake; and take with you Benjamin, your brother. May God the Almighty make him happy with you, and bring him back in safety to me, together with Simeon, who is now held in prison. While you are gone, I shall be a sad and lonely man, bereft entirely of my children."

With the gifts, the double money and the money that was first in their sacks, and with Benjamin, the brothers went forth into Egypt and came and stood again before Joseph.

When Joseph saw the brothers and Benjamin

with them, he commanded the steward that he should slay sheep and calves and make a great feast, so that the brothers might dine with him that day. The servant did as he was commanded, and took the brethren to Joseph's own house.

They were all very much frightened, for they thought that Joseph meant to charge them with the theft of the money that was in their sacks and then throw them into slavery, so they spoke to the steward at the gateway before they entered into Joseph's house, saying:

"We pray you to listen to us. The last time that we came here to buy food, we found after we had bought it and were on our way home, that in the mouth of each one of our sacks was the money that we had paid. Now we bring with us again this money and more also to pay for the new food that we wish. We do not want to keep the money, and we have no idea who it was that put it in our sacks."

But the steward brought Simeon to them and conducted them into Joseph's house, and washed their feet as was the custom, while he gave orders to the servants to feed their animals. Then, as they were told that they should that day dine with Joseph, they made ready and laid out their gifts and presents, so that Joseph might see them when he came in.

When Joseph entered, they fell down to the ground and worshipped him, at the same time holding up to him in their hands the gifts which they had brought.

Joseph saluted them pleasantly, and asked, "Is your father, of whom you told me, yet living, and is he in good health?"

They answered, "Your servant, our father, is

still living, and is in good health." Then they knelt down and worshipped him again.

Joseph, casting his eye on his brother Benjamin, who was indeed his own brother, for both had been born of one mother, asked, "Is this your young brother of whom you told me? God be merciful to you, my son."

Then Joseph left them suddenly and went into his bedchamber, for he was moved in spirit, and he wept over his brother. Then, having washed his face, he came out again with a cheerful countenance and commanded that they should sit at the table, and there he placed his brethren in order, each after his own age.

But Joseph sat at another table and ate with the Egyptians who were present, because it was not considered lawful for Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews. The brethren were all well served with fine meats and drinks, but Benjamin was given always a double portion.

Then Joseph said to his steward, "Fill every sack with wheat as much as it will hold, and put into every man's sack his money. But into the sack of the youngest, with his money, put my cup of silver." And all this was done as Joseph had commanded.

In the morning early the brethren loaded their animals and departed from the town.

When they had gone but a little distance on their way, Joseph called to his steward and said, "Make ready and ride after the brothers and say to them, 'Why have you done evil for good. The cup that my lord is accustomed to drink from, you have stolen. There is no worse thing you can do." "

Just as Joseph had commanded, the steward did,

and they answered his charge, saying, "Why does your lord accuse us so? The money that we found in our sacks before, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan, and now how can it be possible that we should steal any gold or silver from the house of your lord? Look! if it be found upon any one of us, thy servants, let that one die."

The steward said to them, "It shall be as you wish, and if the cup be found upon any of you, he shall become my servant, but the rest of you shall be free to go and not be considered guilty."

Then, one after another, beginning at the eldest, the brothers took off their sacks and opened them, and at last when they reached the sack of Benjamin, there in the mouth they found the cup of silver. When this was seen, all the brothers sorrowed greatly, and cut and rent their clothes. Neither would they proceed on their journey, but loaded their animals and followed the steward and Benjamin back into the town.

First, Judah with his brethren went before Joseph, and all together they fell face down to the ground.

"Why have you done this?" said Joseph. "Do you not know that there is no man so wise as I am?"

"What shall we say to you, my lord," Judah answered, "or what defense can we make? God hath remembered the sins of us your servants, for we are all your servants, we, and he in whose sack the cup was found."

"God forbid that I should act unjustly," said Joseph. "Whosoever stole the cup shall be my servant. As for the rest of you, return you free to your father."