Genesis 42

1 And Jacob hearing that food was sold in Egypt, said to his sons: Why are ye careless?

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

2 I have heard that wheat is sold in Egypt: go ye down, and buy us necessaries, that we may live, and not be consumed with want.

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: go down there, and buy for us from there; that we may live, and not die.

3 So the ten brethren of Joseph went down, to buy corn in Egypt:

And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy grain in Egypt.

4 Whilst Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brethren: Lest perhaps he take any harm in the journey.

But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest perhaps harm shall befall him.

5 And they entered into the land of Egypt with others that went to buy. For the famine was in the land of Chanaan.

And the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and corn was sold by his direction to the people. And when his brethren had bowed down to him,

And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

7 And he knew them, he spoke as it were to strangers somewhat roughly, asking them: Whence came you? They answered: From the land of Chanaan, to buy necessaries of life.

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them; and he said to them, Where do you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

8 And though he knew his brethren, he was not known by them.

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

9 And remembering the dreams, which formerly he had dreamed, he said to them: You are spies. You are come to view the weaker parts of the land.

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said to them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land have ye come.

10 But they said: It is not so, my lord, but thy servants are come to buy food.

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

11 We are all the sons of one man: we are come as peaceable men, neither do thy servants go about any evil.

We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men, thy servants are no spies.

12 And he answered them: It is otherwise: you are come to consider the unfenced parts of this land.

And he said to them, No, but to see the nakedness of the land have ye come.

13 But they said: We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Chanaan: the youngest is with our father, the other is not living.

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

14 He saith: This is it that I said: You are spies.

And Joseph said to them, That is what I spoke to you, saying, Ye are spies:

15 I shall now presently try what you are: by the health of Pharao you shall not depart hence, until your youngest brother come.

By this ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth from here, except your youngest brother shall come here.

16 Send one of you to fetch him: and you shall be in prison, till what you have said be proved, whether it be true or false: or else by the health of Pharao you are spies.

Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there is any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

17 So he put them in prison three days.

And he put them all together into prison three days.

18 And the third day he brought them out of prison, and said: Do as I have said, and you shall live: for I fear God.

And Joseph said to them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

19 If you be peaceable men, let one of your brethren be bound in prison: and go ye your ways and carry the corn that you have bought, unto your houses.

If ye are honest men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses:

20 And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may find your words to be true, and you may not die. They did as he had said.

But bring your youngest brother to me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

21 And they talked one to another: We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is this affliction come upon us.

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

22 And Ruben one of them, said: Did not I say to you: Do not sin against the boy: and you would not hear me? Behold his blood is required.

And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the young man; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

23 And they knew not that Joseph understood, because he spoke to them by an interpreter.

And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spoke to them by an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself away a little while, and wept: and returning he spoke to them.

And he turned himself away from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and spoke with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

25 And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he commanded his servants to fill their sacks with wheat, and to put every man’s money again in their sacks, and to give them besides provisions for the way: and they did so.

Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with grain, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he to them.

26 But they having loaded their asses with the corn, went their way.

And they loaded their donkeys with the grain, and departed from there.

27 And one of them opening his sack, to give his beast provender in the inn, saw the money in the sack’s mouth;

And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the inn, he discovered his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth.

28 And said to his brethren: My money is given me again, behold it is in the sack. And they were astonished, and troubled, and said to one another: What is this that God hath done unto us?

And he said to his brethren, My money is restored; and, see, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done to us?

29 And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Chanaan, and they told him all things that had befallen them, saying:

And they came to Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell them; saying,

30 The lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us to be spies of the country.

The man, who is the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 And we answered him: We are peaceable men, and we mean no plot.

And we said to him, We are honest men; we are no spies:

32 We are twelve brethren born of one father: one is not living, the youngest is with our father in the land of Chanaan.

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.

33 And he said to us: Hereby shall I know that you are peaceable men: Leave one of your brethren with me, and take ye necessary provision for your houses, and go your ways.

And the man, the lord of the country, said to us, By this shall I know that ye are honest men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and depart:

34 And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know you are not spies: and you may receive this man again, that is kept in prison: and afterwards may have leave to buy what you will.

And bring your youngest brother to me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are honest men: then will I deliver to you your brother, and ye shall trade in the land.

35 When they had told this, they poured out their corn and every man found his money tied in the mouth of his sack: and all being astonished together,

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 Their father Jacob said: You have made me to be without children: Joseph is not living, Simeon is kept in bonds, and Benjamin you will take away: all these evils are fallen upon me.

And Jacob their father said to them, Me have ye bereaved: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

37 And Ruben answered him: Kill my two sons if I bring him not again to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to thee.

And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

38 But he said: My son shall not go down with you: his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if any mischief befall him in the land to which you go, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to hell. (Sheol h7585)

And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if harm shall befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)