Genesis 42
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
Now Jacob became aware that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
2 “Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
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.”
3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him.
5 So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
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.
7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
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.”
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
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.”
10 “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
They said to him, “No, my master. Your servants have come to buy food.
11 We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
We are all one man's sons. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
12 “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
He said to them, “No, you have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”
13 But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
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.”
14 Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
Joseph said to them, “It is what I said to you; you are spies.
15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
By this you will be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave here, unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
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.”
17 So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
He put them all in custody for three days.
18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God.
19 If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
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.
20 Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.
Bring your youngest brother to me so your words will be verified and you will not die.” So they did so.
21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
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.”
22 And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
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.”
23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.
24 And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.
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.
25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
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.
26 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
The brothers loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.
27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.
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.
28 “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
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?”
29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:
They went to Jacob, their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them. They said,
30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us and thought that we were spies in the land.
31 But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
We said to him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’
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.'
33 Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.
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.
34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”
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.'”
35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.
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.
36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
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.”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”
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.”
38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” (Sheol h7585)
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)
