Genesis 42

1 And Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

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

2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down thither and buy [grain] for us from thence, in order 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 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy [grain] out of Egypt.

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

4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest mischief may 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 came to buy [grain] among those that came; for the famine was in 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 And Joseph, he was the governor over the land — he it was that sold [the corn] to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came and bowed down to him, the face to the earth.

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 Joseph saw his brethren, and knew them; but he made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them, and said to them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan, 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 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they did not know him.

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

9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamt of them; and he said to them, Ye are spies: to see the exposed places of the land ye are come.

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 And they said to him, No, my lord; but to buy food are thy servants come.

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

11 We are all one man's sons; we are honest: thy servants are not spies.

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

12 And he said to them, No; but to see the exposed places of the land are ye come.

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

13 And they said, Thy servants were twelve brethren, sons of one man, in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

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 And Joseph said to them, That is it that I have spoken to you, saying, Ye are spies.

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

15 By this ye shall be put to the proof: as Pharaoh lives, ye shall not go forth hence, unless your youngest brother come hither!

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 you, that he may fetch your brother, but ye shall be imprisoned, and your words shall be put to the proof, whether the truth is in you; and if not, as Pharaoh lives, ye 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 And he put them in custody three days.

He put them all in custody for three days.

18 And Joseph said to them the third day, This do, that ye may live: I fear God.

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

19 If ye are honest, let one of your brethren remain bound in the house of your prison, but go ye, carry grain for 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 and bring your youngest brother to me, in order that your words be verified, and that ye may not die. And they did so.

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 one to another, We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he besought us, and we did not hearken; therefore this distress is 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 answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the lad? But ye did not hearken; and now behold, his blood also is required.

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 And they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was 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. And he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him 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 And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way. And thus did they to them.

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 their asses with their grain, and departed thence.

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

27 And one of them opened his sack to give his ass food in the inn, and saw his money, and behold, it was in the mouth of his 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 And he said to his brethren, My money is returned [to me], and behold, it is even in my sack. And their heart failed [them], and they were afraid, saying one to another, 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 And they came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,

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, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and treated us as spies of the land.

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

31 And we said to him, We are honest; we are not spies:

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

32 we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day 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 And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, Hereby shall I know that ye are honest: leave one of your brethren with me, and take [for] 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 and bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that ye are not spies, but are honest. Your brother will I give up to you; and ye may 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 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man had his bundle of money in his sack; and they saw their bundles of money, they and their father, and were afraid.

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 And Jacob their father said to them, Ye have bereaved me of children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin! All these things are 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 And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not back to thee: give him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

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 he said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left; and if mischief should befall him by the way in which ye go, then would ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol. (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)