Seven years of fertility have passed, as everything that is subject to time passes; The years of famine came. According to Joseph's prediction, a famine began to rage throughout the land. The people of Egypt cried out to Pharaoh, asking for bread. Pharaoh answered his subjects, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you." - Joseph opened the spare granaries, began to sell grain to the Egyptians from there. Famine raged over the face of the earth. The inhabitants of neighboring countries, hearing that corn was sold in Egypt, and, oppressed by hunger, began to come to Egypt to buy wheat. A wise, prudent ruler prepared spare bread in an amount capable not only of feeding his own people, but also of attracting money from other peoples to the Egyptian state.

Among the other lands oppressed by famine, the land of Canaan languished. The family of the holy patriarch also suffered a lack of food. A rumor that bread was being sold in Egypt reached the elder [39]. And he said to his sons, I have heard that there is wheat in Egypt: why do you not pay attention to it? Go there, buy some bread to sustain our life; otherwise, so that we do not have to die of hunger." In obedience to their father's will, Joseph's ten brothers went to Egypt to buy bread. Jacob and his brothers did not let Benjamin go; he said: "So that nothing bad happens to him on the way."

When the sons of Jacob arrived in Egypt, they came with the rest of the buyers to the place where the corn was sold. Joseph himself was engaged in the sale of grain. When the brothers came before him, he immediately recognized them; but they did not suspect in the least that they were standing before their brother, who had been sold as a slave for twenty pieces of gold. And how could they recognize him? When they parted from him, he was barely seventeen years old; now he was approaching the age of forty. Changed over the years, it was no less changed by the greatness and splendor of the rank, the first in the kingdom of Egypt, which outstripped almost all other states in education, power, and internal structure. Standing before Joseph, the brothers bowed low to him, with their foreheads to the ground. Joseph remembered his dreams Wise, virtuous Joseph! He postponed until another time to declare himself to the brothers. How much power this great soul had over himself! Did not his heart be consumed with a desire to immediately give the most joyful news about himself to his aged holy father, who for more than twenty years knew nothing about him and, considering him irretrievably lost, grieved inconsolably? He does not heed the inclination of a merciful, magnanimous heart, and chooses a way of acting that is necessary for the benefit of both himself and his brethren. Joseph knew the coarse, unbridled manners of these people; they were half-savage shepherds, who had grown up on nomadic camps, who had spent their whole lives with herds, in the freedom of exuberant freedom, in the open air, in deserts. They did not know any power over themselves, they did not know any reins: they disobeyed their father; inflicted frequent insults on him; every wish, no matter how criminal, was carried out; their hands were often stained with the blood of innocents. This is how the Scripture portrays the sons of Jacob. They needed a lesson. For their own well-being, it was necessary to acquaint them with obedience, with good manners. Cruel souls, accustomed to trampling on conscience and the fear of God, could not otherwise be shaken, brought to their senses and self-knowledge, as by the torture of human fear. Foreseeing a prolonged famine, Joseph also foresaw the need to resettle the family of Jacob from Palestine to Egypt. Is it not for this reason that he called his brothers, when they first came to Egypt, spies?.. If his brothers had brought with them into the new fatherland their unbridledness, their turbulence, they would soon have incurred the indignation of the Egyptians; soon the well-being of the family of Jacob, the well-being of Joseph himself, would have fallen; this family and he would have been subjected to the greatest calamities. What was acquired through long-term suffering was supposed to protect and preserve by wise behavior.

Joseph treated his brothers seriously, severely, like a strict sovereign. "Where are you from?" he asked them. They answered, "From the land of Canaan: they have come to buy bread." He replied: "You spies: you have come to look out for our country!" Your servants have come to buy bread. We are all brothers, sons of the same elder. We have come with a peaceful disposition: your servants are not spies." He said, "No, no: you have come to look out for the land!" and they answered, "We are twelve brethren. Your servants are from the land of Canaan. The youngest of us remained with our father, and one was gone." Joseph remarked: "There is a lie in your words! I told you the truth that you were spies. By Pharaoh's immunity, you will not leave here unless your younger brother comes to me. You have to justify yourself with this. Send one from among you: let him bring a brother. But you will remain here in custody until it is clear whether your words are just or not. If they turn out to be unjust, I swear by the sanctity of Pharaoh, you are spies!" - and with these words he put them into custody.

Three days passed. On the third he calls them and says: "I am one of those who fear God. This is what you should do: if you are in a peaceful disposition, then go and take the wheat you bought; one of you will be kept here in custody. Next time bring your brother to me: by this you will prove the truth of your words. But if you do not bring a younger brother, then below [not even not. - Ed.] Joseph spoke to his brethren through the intermediary of an interpreter. He had not yet completely dismissed them, and while he was busy with the other buyers, the sons of Jacob began to converse quietly among themselves in the Hebrew language. Could they have imagined that the formidable Egyptian nobleman understood them! And he follows every word with intense hearing and attention; His every word is caught by his soul, full of holy love, acting with holy, salvific wisdom. "Rightly," said the sons of Jacob to one another, "the sin which we have committed against our brother pursues us! We have despised his deep sorrow, we have not listened to him when he begged us, 'This misfortune has come upon us for him!'" Reuben said to the others, "Did I not tell you, do not offend the young man? You have not listened to me: behold, his blood is being exacted." The words of the brothers pierced Joseph's sensitive heart. He left them for a moment and relieved his burdened heart with streams of tears. Then he came to them again, chose Simeon from among them, and commanded them to put fetters on him before their eyes. In the actions of the wise Joseph everything has its reason. The Scriptures are silent about the reason why chains became the lot of the wild and ferocious Simeon, not any other of the brothers; but from the same Scripture it is clear that it was he who needed a stricter lesson. All ten brothers indulged in grave misdeeds, but Simeon stained himself with the terrible murder of the Shechemites, by which he exposed the entire family of the holy patriarch to terrible danger, from which they were delivered by the special intercession of Providence. And was it not his hands that were raised to another murder, more horrible and criminal?.. Joseph gave a secret order to fill the sacks of the brothers with wheat, and to put into the sack of each the money given for the wheat, and in addition to that, to give them food for the journey. Evidently, each one paid separately for the wheat he took: this is one of those traits that depict before us the remote customs of Biblical antiquity.

Having loaded the donkeys with wheat, the sons of Jacob set off on their return journey. At the first camp, one of them, with the intention of feeding the donkey, took off the sack from it, which somehow untied, and saw a bundle of his money in a sack, on top of the wheat. He shouted to his brothers: "My money has been returned to me! here they are in my sack." Their hearts were terrified, and they were troubled, and said to one another, What is God doing to us? - When they arrived in the land of Canaan, to their father, they told everything that had happened to them, saying: "My husband, the lord of that land, has treated us very harshly, even put us in prison like spies. We said to him: "No! Sir, we are not spies! We came with a peaceful disposition. We are twelve brethren, we are the sons of our father; one of us is gone, and the least is with his father, in the land of Canaan." The man, the lord of the land, answered us: "This will be a proof to me that you are not spies, but people of peaceful disposition: leave one of you here with me; yourselves, having taken the wheat bought for your house, go; but bring your younger brother to me. By this I will know that you are not spies, but people of peace, and then I will give you your brother, who now remains a hostage to me, and you will trade freely in the land of Egypt." When they poured the wheat out of the sacks, each of them had a bundle with his money given for the wheat. When they saw the bundles of their money, they were frightened. Their father saw these bundles and was also afraid. "You," he said to them, "have made me childless! Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and do you want to take Benjamin? All these misfortunes have fallen on my head for you." Reuben answered him, "Kill my two sons, if I do not bring Benjamin back to you." The elder answered: "My son will not go with you! His brother died; he is left alone: if evil befalls him on the road on which you are going, then you will bring my old age with sorrow to hell."

The famine intensified, intensified, overcame the land [40]. Jacob's house ran out of wheat brought from Egypt, and the elder said to his sons: "Go down to Egypt again, buy us some bread." Judas answered him, "A man, the lord of the land, has told us, confirming his words with an oath, that we will not see his face unless our younger brother comes with us." Jacob said, "Why have you done this evil deed, why have you told your husband that you have a brother?" He asked: is your father still alive? Do you still have a brother? We answered his questions. Did we know that he would say, "Bring your brother?" Then Judas began to persuade his father: "Let the young man go with me; we will get up, go, and get bread to feed you and ourselves, so that we may not die of hunger. I will take Benjamin upon my responsibility: from my hand you shall demand him. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, let your wrath be against me all my life. If we had not delayed so long, we would have had time to visit Egypt twice." To this the father said: "If so, then do this: take the works here and bring them to that man as a gift. Take frankincense, honey, styraxes and nuts. Take double money, so that you can return the money found in your bags: perhaps they got there due to some misunderstanding. And take your brother. Get ready for the journey and go to your husband. May my God incline the man to mercy, that he may let your brother and Benjamin go. I have become completely childless!"

The sons of Jacob took with them gifts and double money, and went to Egypt. Arriving there, they presented themselves to Joseph. Joseph saw Benjamin, his brother on his mother's side, and his soul was troubled. He called the steward of his house and said to him, "Bring these people into my house and prepare a good dinner: at noon they will dine with me." The steward fulfilled Joseph's command, and led the brothers to his house. And when they saw that they were being led to Joseph's house, they said to one another, We are being brought hither on account of the money found in our sacks, to slander us, to accuse us, to take us as slaves, and to take possession of our asses. Therefore, at the gate of the house, without entering it, they approached the steward and said to him: "We beseech you, hear us. When we came for the first time to buy bread and, taking our sacks piled up, set off on our way back, at the first camp we untied our sacks and suddenly saw our money, each in his own bag; We have now brought this money back, in weight. And to buy new bread, they brought other money. Who put the silver we gave for the first bread into our sacks, we do not know." "Calm down," replied the steward, "fear nothing. Your God, the God of your fathers, has sent you riches into your sacks. And the money you contributed is listed in my parish and is counted among the received." He brought Simeon to them. Then water was brought, their feet were washed, and the donkeys were given food. They laid out the gifts, and having prepared them, they waited for Joseph to come out by noon.

When Joseph returned to the house, the brothers brought him gifts and bowed their foreheads to the ground. He asked them, "Are you well? Then he added: "Is the elder, your father, about whom you told me, still alive?" Is he still alive?" They answered, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." "Blessed is this man in the sight of God!" Joseph said. They bowed low to him. Finding Benjamin among them, Joseph asked: "Is this your younger brother, whom you promised to bring to me?" And to their affirmative answer he said: "May God have mercy on you, my child!" his heart beat violently; tears poured from her eyes. He hastily went to his bedroom, where he was satiated with tears; then he washed his face, went out to the brethren, and restraining himself, said, "Offer me a meal." It was prepared separately for him, and separately for the sons of Jacob, and separately for the Egyptians, who dined with the nobleman that day. The Egyptians, the Scriptures relate, could not be at the same table with the Hebrews; They, according to their belief, abhorred any shepherd-sheep breeder. The sons of Jacob were seated directly opposite Joseph, according to their years. They were surprised to see themselves seated according to seniority. They were served food, each separately a part of it: Joseph himself laid down the parts, and Benjamin was given more than the rest of the brethren. Wine was also served. The hearts of the sons of Jacob were at ease at a sumptuous and friendly meal. Not accustomed to embarrassing themselves, the desert shepherds ate their fill and drank copiously. This meal prefigured the spiritual meal of Christ the Savior, offered to Christians at the Divine Liturgy. The Lord was pleased to become our brother, He acquired dominion over the world – the mysterious Egypt – and to His brethren, who suffer under the burden of sin, He prepared a table and a reverent sovereign chalice,[41] His Most Holy Body and His Most Holy Blood. Christians, partaking of this Divine Food, partake of eternal life, are freed from sins and, in the ecstasy of spiritual delight, forget the sorrows that oppress them during their wanderings in Egypt - in a foreign country, in the land of exile: this country, full of sorrows and calamities, visible and invisible, is earthly life.

Иосиф, между тем, отдал тайное приказание своим подчиненным [42]: "Наполните мешки этих людей пшеницею, всыпьте больше, лишь бы в силах были увезти. Деньги каждого положите в мешок сверху пшеницы. В мешок меньшего вложите, кроме денег, и серебряную мою чашу". Все было исполнено по приказанию Иосифа. Наступило утро: сыновья Иакова пустились в путь с навьюченными хлебом ослами. Когда они вышли из города и были еще недалеко, Иосиф говорит домоправителю своему: "Ступай скорее в погоню за этими людьми, настигни их и скажи: что это? вы за мое добро воздали злом? Зачем вы украли мою серебряную чашу? Не та ли эта чаша, из которой пьет господин мой? да в ней же он и волхвует". Домоправитель, настигнув их, повторил от слова до слова приказанное Иосифом. Они отвечали: "Напрасно так говорит господин! Нет, рабы твои не сделали этого. Если деньги, найденные нами в мешках наших, мы принесли опять из земли Ханаанской, то с чего нам красть из дому господина твоего серебро и золото? У кого найдешь чашу, тот да будет казнен, и мы отдадимся в рабство господину нашему". Домоправитель отвечал: "Пусть будет по слову вашему: у кого найдется чаша, тот да поступит в рабы к господину моему". Они поспешно сняли мешки с ослов, и каждый развязал мешок свой. Домоправитель начал обыскивать со старшего, дошел до младшего; чаша нашлась в мешке Вениамина. В отчаянии они растерзали на себе одежды, положили мешки на ослов и возвратились в город. Иосиф был в доме своем: они пришли к нему и пали пред ним на землю. "Что вы сделали? - сказал он им. - Разве вы не знали, что нет на земле гадателя, подобного мне?" Иуда отвечал: "Господин! нам нечего отвечать тебе, нечего говорить, нечем оправдаться! Бог карает тайное согрешение рабов твоих. Отдаем себя в рабы господину нашему. Пусть будем рабами твоими, мы и тот, у кого нашлась чаша". "Зачем мне, - сказал Иосиф, - быть несправедливым? Тот, у кого нашлась чаша, пусть будет рабом моим, а вы идите свободно к отцу". Тогда Иуда, приступив к нему, сказал: "Господин! Умоляю тебя, позволь мне сказать пред тобою несколько слов и не прогневайся на раба твоего: я знаю, что ты второй по фараоне. Господин! ты спрашивал рабов твоих: имеете ли вы отца или брата? И мы сказали господину: есть у нас престарелый отец и меньший брат, родившийся, когда уже отец был в преклонных летах. Их было два у матери: старший умер; этот остался один, и отец полюбил его. Ты сказал рабам твоим: приведите его ко мне, хочу видеть его. Мы сказали господину: невозможно юноше оставить отца своего; если он покинет отца - отец умрет. Ты же сказал рабам твоим: если не придет меньший брат ваш, то вы не увидите более лица моего. Когда мы пришли к рабу твоему, отцу нашему, то передали ему слова господина нашего. Отец сказал нам: "Идите опять, купите хлеба". Мы отвечали: "Нельзя нам идти! Если меньший брат наш пойдет с нами, то пойдем: потому что без него мы не будем допущены пред лицо мужа". Твой раб, отец же наш, сказал нам: "Вы знаете, что жена моя родила мне двоих. Один пошел от меня к вам: вы сказали, что он съеден зверем; с тех пор и поныне я не видал его. Если и этого возьмете и случится с ним дорогой какое зло, вы сведете старость мою с печалью в ад". Итак, если я пойду теперь к рабу твоему, отцу нашему, а юноши не будет со мною - ведь душа его привязалась к душе этого! - и увидит отец мой, что нет с нами юноши, он умрет. И сведут рабы твои старость раба твоего, отца нашего, с печалью в ад. Я, раб твой, взял юношу у отца, сказав ему: если не приведу его к тебе и не поставлю пред тобою, пусть будет гнев твой на мне во все дни жизни моей. Пусть же я буду рабом твоим вместо юноши да! рабом господину А юноша пусть идет с братьями своими. Как мне идти к отцу без юноши? Не снести мне той горести, которая поразит отца моего". Иосиф не мог далее удерживать и скрывать себя [43]. Всем присутствующим он приказал выйти; даже из приближенных и домашних не было никого, когда он открыл себя братьям. Все удалились; тогда с плачем и воплем воскликнул Иосиф братьям: "Я - Иосиф!.. неужели еще жив отец мой?" Братья пришли в совершенное недоумение, не могли ничего отвечать ему. Иосиф сказал им: "Приблизьтесь ко мне". Они подошли к нему. "Я - Иосиф, - повторил он им, - я - брат ваш, которого вы продали в Египет. Не скорбите же, что вы продали меня сюда Чтоб это вас не тревожило, не мучило! Бог, промышляющий о спасении вашем, послал меня сюда. Вот второй год на земле голод, и еще осталось пять лет, в которые напрасно будут пахать землю, в которые жатвы не будет. Бог послал меня пред вами приготовить вам убежище на земле и прокормить наше многочисленное семейство. Не вы продали меня сюда: сюда послал меня Бог, сделал как бы отцом фараону, господином над всем домом его и владыкою всей Египетской земли. Поспешите возвратиться к отцу моему и скажите ему: вот что говорит тебе сын твой, Иосиф: "Бог сделал меня господином Египта: приди ко мне, не медли. Ты поселишься в Гесемской земле, будешь близ меня, ты и сыновья твои, и сыны сынов твоих, и овцы твои, и волы твои, и все стада твои. Я буду доставлять тебе пропитание, потому что еще в течение пяти лет будет голод на земле. Ваши глаза видят, и глаза Вениамина, брата моего, видят, что я моими устами говорю вам это. Расскажите отцу моему всю славу и власть, которые даны мне в Египте, которые вы видели собственными вашими глазами. Поспешите, приведите отца моего сюда". Он бросился на шею к Вениамину и, обняв его, плакал, и Вениамин обнял его и также плакал. Потом со слезами он обнимал всех братьев своих. Тогда открылись уста их, доселе запечатленные страхом и недоумением: они вступили в беседу с Иосифом.

Дошел слух до дома фараонова о прибытии братьев Иосифа; обрадовались фараон и двор его. Фараон сказал Иосифу: "Скажи братьям своим: так поступите, наполните мешки ваши хлебом, идите в землю Ханаанскую и, взяв отца вашего, переселитесь ко мне со всем имением вашим. Богатства Египта отворены для вас". Иосиф подарил братьям, каждому, по две перемены платья, а Вениамину пять перемен и триста золотых монет. Отцу своему он послал многие дары на десяти ослах и дал десять мулов с хлебом на дорогу. Одарив так братьев своих, он отпустил их; отпуская, сказал: "На пути не ссорьтесь между собою". Нужно было вольным питомцам пустыни такое наставление: конечно, теперь они дали ему должный вес, помнили и сохранили его.

Возвратились сыновья Иакова в Ханаанскую землю, к отцу своему, сказали ему: "Сын твой Иосиф жив: он-то и управляет всею Египетскою землею". Ужаснулся Иаков, не поверил им. Они уверяли его, пересказывали в точности все слова Иосифа. Когда же старец увидел богатые дары и колесницы, посланные за ним Иосифом, тогда ожил дух его, и сказал Иаков: "Велико для меня, если жив еще Иосиф! пойду, увижусь с ним, прежде, нежели умереть мне".

Патриарх поднялся со всеми домочадцами, со всем имуществом; достигнув так называемого Клятвенного Колодца, принес близ него жертву Богу [44]. В ночном видении Бог сказал старцу: "Иаков! Иаков! Я Бог отцов твоих. Не убойся переселиться в Египет: там сотворю тебя в народ многочисленный. Я сойду с тобою в Египет, и Я выведу тебя оттуда. Иосиф своими руками закроет глаза твои".

Семейство Иакова при переселении своем в пределы Египта состояло, включая сюда и Иосифа с его сыновьями, из семидесяти пяти душ мужского пола. Достигнув Гесемской земли, он послал Иуду известить Иосифа о своем прибытии. Иосиф велел запрячь колесницы и выехал навстречу старцу-отцу в область Гесемскую; увидев его, кинулся ему на шею с воплем и рыданием. Иаков сказал Иосифу: "Теперь пусть умру, потому что я увидел лицо твое: еще ты жив!" Когда все семейство прибыло в Египет, Иосиф сказал братьям: "Пойду к фараону, извещу его о вашем пришествии, скажу: братья мои и весь дом отца моего, обитавшие в Ханаанской земле, пришли ко мне. Они - скотоводы: такое занятие нашего рода исстари. Они пригнали сюда и стада свои. Если призовет вас фараон и спросит, какое ваше занятие, отвечайте ему: мы, рабы твои, с детства и поныне занимаемся скотоводством; им занимались и отцы наши. А он скажет вам: поместитесь в Гесеме аравийском". - Этот значительный участок плодороднейшей земли, очень удобный для скотоводства, никогда не был населен. Причиною помещения семейства патриархова в отдельной и необитаемой стране, говорит Писание, было известное поверье египтян, признававших нечистыми тех, которые занимались овцеводством.