Then their fatherIsraelsaidto them, "If[it must be] so,thendothis:takesomeof the bestproductsof the landin your bags,and carrydownto the manas a present,a littlebalmand a littlehoney,aromaticgumand myrrh,pistachionutsand almonds.
Then they satdownto eata meal.And as they raisedtheir eyesand looked,behold,a caravanof Ishmaeliteswas comingfrom Gilead,with their camelsbearingaromaticgumand balmand myrrh,on their wayto bring[them] downto Egypt.
Is therenobalmin Gilead?Is therenophysicianthere?Whythenhas not the healthof the daughterof my peoplebeen restored?
"Judahand the landof Israel,they were your traders;with the wheatof Minnith,cakes,honey,oiland balmthey paidfor your merchandise.
A man'sgiftmakesroomfor him And bringshim beforegreatmen.
Then Saulsaidto his servant,"But behold,if we go,whatshall we bringthe man?For the breadis gonefrom our sackand thereis nopresentto bringto the manof God.Whatdo we have?"
And since he would not be persuaded,we fell silent,remarking,"The willof the Lordbe done!"
"The sonsof Dedanwere your traders.Manycoastlandswere your market;ivorytusksand ebonythey broughtas your payment.
"Hurry,my beloved,And be likea gazelleora youngstagOn the mountainsof spices."
Nardand saffron,calamusand cinnamon,With allthe treesof frankincense,Myrrhand aloes,alongwith allthe finestspices.
"Howbeautifulis your love,my sister,[my] bride!Howmuch betteris your lovethanwine,And the fragranceof your oilsThanall[kinds] of spices!
A giftin secretsubduesanger,And a bribein the bosom,strongwrath.
Manywill seekthe favorof a generousman,And everymanis a friendto him who gives gifts.
A manlackingin sensepledgesAnd becomesguarantorin the presenceof his neighbor.
Makevowsto the LORDyour Godand fulfill[them]; Let allwho are aroundHim bringgiftsto Him whois to be feared.
Let the kingsof Tarshishand of the islandsbringpresents;The kingsof Shebaand Sebaoffergifts.
Becauseof Your templeat JerusalemKingswill bringgiftsto You.
"Go,assembleallthe Jewswho are foundin Susa,and fastfor me; do not eator drinkfor threedays,nightor day.I and my maidensalsowill fastin the sameway.And thusI will goin to the king,whichis not according to the law;and ifI perish,I perish."
At that timeBerodach-baladana sonof Baladan,kingof Babylon,sentlettersand a presentto Hezekiah,for he heardthat Hezekiahhad beensick.
Ahaztookthe silverand goldthat was foundin the houseof the LORDand in the treasuriesof the king'shouse,and senta presentto the kingof Assyria.
The kingsaidto Hazael,"Takea giftin your handand goto meetthe manof God,and inquireof the LORDby him, saying,'Will I recoverfrom thissickness?'"
"[Let there be] a treatybetweenyou and me, [as] betweenmy fatherand your father.Behold,I have sentyou a presentof silverand gold;go,breakyour treatywith Baashakingof Israelso that he will withdrawfrom me."
They broughteverymanhis gift,articlesof silverand gold,garments,weapons,spices,horses,and mules,somuchyearby year.
besides[that] from the tradersand the waresof the merchantsand allthe kingsof the Arabsand the governorsof the country.
Now Solomonruledover allthe kingdomsfrom the River[to] the landof the Philistinesand to the borderof Egypt;[they] broughttributeand servedSolomonallthe daysof his life.
"Nowlet thisgiftwhichyour maidservanthas broughtto my lordbe givento the youngmenwho accompanymy lord.
And with the choiceyieldof the sun,And with the choiceproduceof the months.
and may GodAlmightygrantyou compassionin the sightof the man,so that he will releaseto you your otherbrotherand Benjamin.And as for me, ifI am bereavedof my children,I am bereaved."
Jacobsaid,"No,please,ifnowI have foundfavorin your sight,then takemy presentfrom my hand,for I seeyour faceas one seesthe faceof God,and you have receivedme favorably.
Hence I have saidto you, "You are to possesstheir land,and I Myselfwill giveit to you to possessit, a landflowingwith milkand honey."I am the LORDyour God,whohas separatedyou from the peoples.
"For ifwe had not delayed,surelyby nowwe could have returnedtwice."
So the mentookthispresent,and they tookdouble[the] moneyin their hand,and Benjamin;then they aroseand wentdownto Egyptand stoodbeforeJoseph.
So they preparedthe presentfor Joseph'scomingat noon;for they had heardthat they were to eata mealthere.
When Josephcamehome,they broughtinto the houseto him the presentwhichwas in their handand bowedto the groundbefore him.
"The tradersof Shebaand Raamah,they tradedwith you; they paidfor your wareswith the bestof all[kinds] of spices,and with all[kinds] of preciousstonesand gold.
"So I have comedownto deliverthem from the powerof the Egyptians,and to bringthem up from that landto a goodand spaciousland,to a landflowingwith milkand honey,to the placeof the Canaaniteand the Hittiteand the Amoriteand the Perizziteand the Hiviteand the Jebusite.
