Genesis 42

1 Now Jacob became aware that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”

And Jacob having seen that there was a sale [of corn] in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are ye indolent?

2 He said, “See here, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy for us from there so we may live and not die.”

Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; go down thither, and buy for us a little food, that we may live, and not die.

3 Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn out of Egypt.

4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him.

But [Jacob] sent not Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, with his brethren; for he said, Lest, haply, disease befall him.

5 The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

And the sons of Israel came to buy with those that came, for the famine was in the land of Chanaan.

6 Now Joseph was the governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

And Joseph was ruler of the land; he sold to all the people of the land. And the brethren of Joseph, having come, did reverence to him, [bowing] with the face to the ground.

7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke harshly with them. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

And when Joseph saw his brethren, he knew them, and estranged himself from them, and spoke hard words to them; and said to them, Whence are ye come? And they said, Out of the land of Chanaan, to buy food.

8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”

And Joseph remembered his dream, which he saw; and he said to them, Ye are spies; to observe the marks of the land are ye come.

10 They said to him, “No, my master. Your servants have come to buy food.

But they said, Nay, Sir, we thy servants are come to buy food;

11 We are all one man's sons. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”

we are all sons of one man; we are peaceable, thy servants are not spies.

12 He said to them, “No, you have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”

And he said to them, Nay, but ye are come to observe the marks of the land.

13 They said, “We your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. See, the youngest is this day with our father, and one brother is no longer alive.”

And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, in the land of Chanaan; and, behold, the youngest is with our father to-day, but the other one is not.

14 Joseph said to them, “It is what I said to you; you are spies.

And Joseph said to them, This is it that I spoke to you, saying, ye are spies;

15 By this you will be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave here, unless your youngest brother comes here.

herein shall ye be manifested; by the health of Pharao, ye shall not depart hence, unless your younger brother come hither.

16 Send one of yourselves and let him get your brother. You will remain in prison, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you.”

Send one of you, and take your brother; and go ye to prison, till your words be clear, whether ye speak the truth or not; but, if not, by the health of Pharao, verily ye are spies.

17 He put them all in custody for three days.

And he put them in prison three days.

18 Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God.

And he said to them on the third day, This do, and ye shall live, for I fear God.

19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in this prison, but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.

If ye be peaceable, let one of your brethren be detained in prison; but go ye, and carry back the corn ye have purchased.

20 Bring your youngest brother to me so your words will be verified and you will not die.” So they did so.

And bring your younger brother to me, and your words shall be believed; but, if not, ye shall die. And they did so.

21 They said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us and we would not listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”

And each said to his brother, Yes, indeed, for we are in fault concerning our brother, when we disregarded the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we hearkened not to him; and therefore has this affliction come upon us.

22 Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy,' but you would not listen? Now, see, his blood is required of us.”

And Ruben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Hurt not the boy, and ye heard me not? and, behold, his blood is required.

23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

But they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

24 He turned from them and wept. He returned to them and spoke to them. He took Simeon from among them and bound him before their eyes.

And Joseph turned away from them, and wept; and again he came to them, and spoke to them; and he took Symeon from them, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Joseph commanded his servants to fill his brothers' bags with grain, and to put every man's money back into his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. It was done for them.

And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with corn, and to return their money to each into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and it was so done to them.

26 The brothers loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.

And having put the corn on the asses, they departed thence.

27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the opening of his sack.

And one having opened his sack to give his asses fodder, at the place where they rested, saw also his bundle of money, for it was on the mouth of his sack.

28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back. Look at it; it is in my sack.” Their hearts sank and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

And he said to his brethren, My money has been restored to me, and behold this is in my sack. And their heart was wonder-struck, and they were troubled, saying one to another, What is this that God has done to us?

29 They went to Jacob, their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them. They said,

And they came to their father, Jacob, into the land of Chanaan, and reported to him all that had happened to them, saying,

30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us and thought that we were spies in the land.

The man, the lord of the land, spoke harsh words to us, and put us in prison as spies of the land.

31 We said to him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.

And we said to him, We are men of peace, we are not spies.

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no longer alive, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.'

We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is with his father to-day in the land of Chanaan.

33 The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for the famine in your houses, and go your way.

And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, Herein shall I know that ye are peaceable; leave one brother here with me, and having taken the corn ye have purchased for your family, depart.

34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. Then I will release your brother to you, and you will trade in the land.'”

And bring to me your younger brother; then I shall know that ye are not spies, but that ye are men of peace: and I will restore you your brother, and ye shall trade in the land.

35 It came about as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bag of silver was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.

And it came to pass as they were emptying their sacks, there was each man's bundle of money in his sack; and they and their father saw their bundles of money, and they were afraid.

36 Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children. Joseph is no longer alive, Simeon is gone, and you will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”

And their father Jacob said to them, Ye have bereaved me. Joseph is not, Symeon is not, and will ye take Benjamin? all these things have come upon me.

37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring Benjamin back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him to you again.”

And Ruben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.

38 Jacob said, “My son will not go down with you. For his brother is dead and he alone is left. If harm comes to him on the road in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.” (Sheol h7585)

But he said, My son shall not go down with you, because his brother is dead, and he only has been left; and [suppose] it shall come to pass that he is afflicted by the way by which ye go, then ye shall bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades. (Sheol h7585)