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And Reuben answered them saying, Spake

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not unto you, saying, Do not sin against{ the child; and ye would not hear? there fore, behold, also his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

IN PRODUCING FROM EVENTS WHICH APPEARED TO JACOB THE MOST, CALAMITOUS, THE MOST JOYOUS AND PROSPEROUS RESULTS.

GEN. xlii. 36-38.

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And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children; Jo seph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are v against me. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee deliver him into my hand,

and I will bring him to thee again. And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

JACOB SENDETH BENJAMIN INTO
EGYPT WITH HIS BRETHREN.

GEN. xliii. 1–14.

And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except

your brother be with you. And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for him ; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. And their father Israel said unto them, It it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: And take double money in your

hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was

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oversight: Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

JUDAH'S DEEP AFFLICTION.
GEN. xliv. 14—34.

And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. And he

said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant for thou art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, have ye a father, or a brother? And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my

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