1. The famine in Canaan got worse,
2. and when the family of Jacob had eaten all the corn which had been brought from Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy a little food for us.”
3. Judah said to him, “The man sternly warned us that we would not be admitted to his presence unless we had our brother with us.
4. If you are willing to send our brother with us, we will go and buy food for you.
5. If you are not willing, we will not go, because the man told us we would not be admitted to his presence unless our brother was with us.”
6. Jacob said, “Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the man that you had another brother?”
7. They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family, ‘Is your father still living? Have you got another brother?’ We had to answer his questions. How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother with us?”
8. Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will leave at once. Then none of us will starve to death.
9. I will pledge my own life, and you can hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you safe and sound, I will always bear the blame.