Genesis 42

1 When Jacob found out grain was available in Egypt, he asked his sons, “Why do you keep on looking at each other to do something?

Then saw Jacob that there was corn in Egypt, —and Jacob said to his sons, Wherefore look ye one at another?

2 I've heard there's grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us so we can stay alive—if not, we're going to die!”

And he said, Lo I have heard that there is corn in Egypt, —Go down thither and buy corn for us from thence, that we may live and not die.

3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain.

So Joseph’s ten brethren went down, —to buy corn from the Egyptians;

4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his other brothers, for he said, “I'm afraid something bad might happen to him.”

but, Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, —for he said, Lest there befall him any mischief.

5 So Israel's sons went to buy grain along with everyone else, because there was famine in Canaan too.

Thus came in the sons of Israel, to buy corn in the midst of them that came—for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Joseph was the governor of the country and he sold grain to all the people there. So Joseph's brothers went to him, and bowed low before him with their faces to the ground.

Now, Joseph—he, it was, that was in power over the land, he, it was that was selling corn to all the people of the land, —so Joseph’s brethren came in, and bowed themselves down to him, with their faces to the earth.

7 Joseph recognized them as soon as he saw them, but he acted like a stranger towards them and spoke to them in a severe way, saying, “Where are you from?” “From the country of Canaan,” they replied. “We've come to buy food.”

And Joseph beheld his brethren and recognised them, —and made himself a stranger unto them and spake with them harsh things and said unto them—Whence have ye come in? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.

8 Even though Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him.

And Joseph recognised his brethren, —whereas they, recognised him not.

9 Joseph thought back to the dreams he'd had about them, and told them, “No! You're spies! You've come to discover our country's weaknesses!”

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed regarding them, —so he said unto them—Spies, are, ye! to see the nakedness of the land, have ye come in!

10 “That's not true, my lord!” they responded. “We, your servants, have just come to buy food.

And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, —but, thy servants, are come to buy food.

11 We're all the sons of one man and we're honest. We're not spies!”

All of us, are, sons of one man, —honest men, are we: thy servants are not, spies.

12 “No! You've come to find our country's weaknesses!” he insisted.

And he said unto him, —Nay! but, the nakedness of the land, are ye come in to see.

13 “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man living in the country of Canaan,” they explained. “The youngest is right now with our father, and one has passed away.”

And they said: We, thy twelve servants, are, brethren, sons of one man in the and of Canaan, —and lo! the youngest: is with our father this day, and, the one, is not!

14 “As I said before, you're spies!” Joseph declared.

And Joseph said unto them, —The very thing, that I spake unto you, saying—Spies, are, ye.

15 “This is how your story will be checked. I swear on Pharaoh's life that you'll never leave this country unless your younger brother comes here.

Hereby, shall ye be proved, —By the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go forth from hence, save only by the coming in of your youngest brother hither.

16 One of you go back and bring your other brother here. The others of you will be kept here in prison until it's clear that you're telling the truth. If not, then I swear on Pharaoh's life it proves you're spies!”

Send—from among you—one that he may fetch your brother, but be, ye, held as prisoners, that your words may be proved whether, truth, is with you, —and, if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely, spies, ye are.

17 So Joseph put all of them in prison for three days.

So he drew them all together into ward, for three days.

18 On the third day he told them, “Since I'm someone who respects God, do as I tell you and you'll live.

And Joseph said unto them on the third day, This, do and live, —God himself, do, I, revere.

19 If you're truly honest, choose one of your brothers to stay here in prison. The rest of you can go back home with grain for your hungry families.

If ye, are, honest men, one brother of you shall be kept as a prisoner in your house of ward, —but, ye, go, take in corn for the famine of your houses;

20 But you must bring your youngest brother here to me to prove what you're saying is true. If not, you will all die.” They agreed to do this.

and your youngest brother, shall ye bring in unto me, that your words may be confirmed, and ye die not. And they did so.

21 “Clearly we're being punished for what we did to our brother,” they said to each other. “We watched him in agony pleading with us for mercy, but we refused to listen to him. That's why we're in all this trouble.”

And they said each man unto his brother—Verily guilty, we are, respecting our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul when he appealed unto us for favour and we hearkened not, —therefore, hath come in unto us this distress.

22 Reuben said to them, “Didn't I tell you, ‘Don't harm the boy!’ But you didn't listen to me. Now we're paying the price for what we did to him.”

And Reuben responded to them, saying—Spake I not unto you saying, Do not sin against the child! And ye hearkened not? His very blood, therefore lo! it is required.

23 They didn't realize that Joseph understood what they were saying because they were talking to him through an interpreter.

But, they, knew not that Joseph was hearkening, —for, the interpreter, was between them.

24 Joseph stepped away from them because he started crying. He came back when he was able to speak to them again. He chose Simeon and had him tied up as they watched.

So he turned away from them, and wept, —then came back unto them and spake unto them, and took away from them Simeon, and bound him prisoner before their eyes.

25 Joseph gave the order to fill up their sacks with grain, and also to return the money they had paid by placing it in the sacks as well. He also ordered that they should be provided with food for their journey home. All this was done.

Then commanded Joseph that their bags should be filled with corn, and their silver be returned each man’s into his sack, and provision be given for the journey, —and it was done to them thus.

26 The brothers loaded the grain onto their donkeys and then set off.

So they lifted up their corn on their asses, —and went their way, from thence.

27 On their way they stopped for the night, and one of them opened up his sack to give his donkey something to eat and saw his money there at the top of the sack.

And the first opened his sack to give fodder to his ass at the inn, —and beheld his silver, yea there, it was in the mouth of his sack!

28 He told his brothers, “My money's been returned to me. It's right here at the top of my sack!” They were horrified! Trembling with fear they asked each other, “What is this that God's done to us?”

So he said unto his brethren My silver hath been returned, yea verily, there it is in my sack! Then went forth their heart and they turned trembling—each man unto his brother saying. What is this that God hath done to us?

29 When they arrived home in Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened.

So they came in unto Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, —and told him all that had befallen them saying:

30 “The man who is the country's governor spoke to us in a severe way, and accused us of spying on the land,” they explained.

The man that is lord of the land spake unto us harsh things, —and then delivered us up. as spies of the land.

31 “We told him, ‘We are honest men. We're not spies!

And we said unto him Honest men, are, we, —we are not spies!

32 We are twelve brothers, the sons of one father. One has passed away and the youngest is right now with our father in the country of Canaan.’

Twelve brethren, are, we, sons of our father, —the one, is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33 Then the man who is the country's governor said to us, ‘This is how I'll find out if you're telling the truth: you are to leave one of your brothers here with me while the rest take grain home for your hungry families.

Then said the man the lord of the land unto us, Hereby, shall I get to know that honest men, ye are, —One brother of you, leave ye remaining with me, and corn for the famine of your houses, take ye and go your way;

34 Then bring your youngest brother to me. That way I'll know you're not spies but you're telling the truth. I'll release your brother to you, and you can stay in the country and trade.’”

And bring ye in your youngest brother unto me, So must I get to know that ye are, not spies, but are honest men: Your brother, will I give up to you, and with the land, shall ye traffic.

35 As they emptied their sacks, each one's money bag was there in his sack! When they and their father saw the money bags, they were horrified.

And it came to pass when, they, were emptying their, sacks then lo! each man’s bundle of silver, was in his sack, —and when they beheld their bundles of silver—they and their father, they were afraid,

36 Jacob their father accused them, “You have taken Joseph from me—he's gone! Simeon is gone too! Now you want to take Benjamin away! I'm the one who's suffering from all of this!”

And Jacob their father said unto them, Me, have ye bereaved, —Joseph, is not, and, Simeon, is not, and Benjamin, ye would take! Against me, have happened all these things.

37 “You can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you,” Reuben assured him. “Trust me with him, and I will bring him home to you myself.”

Then spake Reuben unto his father saying, My two sons, shalt thou put to death, if I bring him not unto thee, —Come give him up upon my hand, and I, will restore him unto thee.

38 “My son won't go there with you!” Jacob declared. “His brother is dead, and he's the only one I have left. If anything bad happens to him on the journey you're planning, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.” (Sheol h7585)

And he said, My son shall not go down with you, —For, his brother, is dead and, he alone, is left, and as surely as there befall him any mischief by the way wherein ye go, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow unto hades. (Sheol h7585)