6. Jacob, also called Israel, said, “Why did you tell the man you had another brother? You have caused me a lot of trouble.”
7. The brothers answered, “He questioned us carefully about ourselves and our family. He asked us, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We just answered his questions. How could we know he would ask us to bring our other brother to him?”
8. Then Judah said to his father Jacob, “Send Benjamin with me. Then we will go at once. Do this so that we, you and our children may live and not die.
9. I will guarantee you that he will be safe. I will be personally responsible for him. If I don’t bring him back to you, you can blame me all my life.
10. If we had not wasted all this time, we could have already made two trips.”
11. Then their father Jacob said to them, “If it has to be that way, then do this: Take some of the best foods in our land in your packs. Give them to the man as a gift: some balm, some honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.
12. Take twice as much money with you this time. Take back the money that was returned to you in your sacks last time. Maybe it was a mistake.