Illustrated bible History - Catholic Apologetics Information

Stretch out thy hand to the poor, thnt thy espi:rlio~~ and thy blessing
may bc 1~crllrtet1.-Ecclus. 7, 36.
,> UT afler somc rno~~ths tllc corn rvllic11 tllc sons of Jncob
L 11:rcl brought from ]Egypt was consi~llic!d, :uld Llle fkmine
still c:oritirmcd. Tbcrcf'orc? Jncob said to his sons : 'g Go
again into Egypt allcl bring us n little food." Juil~ told his
fathcr thnt tlit: govcrxlur h:~d forbiclclcn thcm to come back
to Egypt 11ll1~ss they bru11g11L Ben.j;tnlin wjth them. And
Judn nrlrlctl : Send t h boy ~ with me, t11:~t mc mny set for-
~varcl, lcst both Itre :~ntl orlr cliildrcn perisll. 1 take tlie boy
upon mc; rcquirc hirn t~t lily l1;1111l."
2. So Jncob conscntt!tl to lct Benjar~~iri go, And hc told
his sons to take sonw of tlio bcst 11-uits 01 t11e country as prcsents
to Ihc governor of 15g?pt, and also to r~:till.ii tlie moncy
~v11ic11 tlley l~scl fuiind in thrir sacks, lc~t, perhaps, it was
donc by rriistnlre. Thcn ho pl-nyed that God might prosper
thcir jo~~nlcy and ~nnlcc thc governor of ICgypt favorable to
tl~cm, :mrl scrlcl back with tllcln Simcon nnci 13ci1j amin.
3. Thcrl tl~ey went clown to ICgypt and stood beforc Joseph.
Whcn Josepli saw thcm, and llcrljatnin in thcir midst, he
commn~'lrlcd his steward to conduct tl~cn~ to his house ant1
prepue n bni~quet. The sle~rurcl obeyed. But the brothers,
on finding thclnselvcs i11 tile governor's house, were scixccl
with i'enr, itnd mid one to :inntller : '' Bec:u~st! oi the moiloy
which WC? c:~rried back thr! fir;& timc in our sntnks, we arc
brought in, th:~t he runjT bring upon us a false accusation, and
by violc~lcc mdce slavcs of us."
4. Tlicrcforc they \t1ent to tllc steward at the door, and said :
\Ire cannot tcll ~vlio put ll~xt money it1 our bags." Rut IN
said tu them : " Poaco bc to you ; fear not." Ancl hc brought
Sirneon out to them. Jo~cph now having e~llerud the house,
they bowcd down before 11i1n and offered their gifts. IIe