THE SECOND JOURNEY TO EGYPT

When the supplies bought in Egypt were eaten up, and
the family of Jacob began to suffer with hunger, the little
children came to him, and they said, "Give us bread, that
we die not of hunger before thee." The words of the little
ones brought scorching tears to the eyes of Jacob, and he
summoned his sons and bade them go again down into Egypt
and buy food.[227] But Judah spake unto him, "The man did
solemnly protest unto us, saying that we should not see his
face, except our brother Benjamin be with us, and we cannot
appear before him with idle pretexts." And Jacob said,
"Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me as to tell the man
whether ye had yet a brother?" It was the first and only
time Jacob indulged in empty talk, and God said, "I made it