1 Now the famine in the land was severe.
2 When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us some food.”
3 But Judah said to him, “The man specifically warned us: ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5 But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’ ”
6 “Why did you cause me so much trouble? ” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man that you had another brother? ”
7 They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother? ’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’? ”