< Genesis 42 >

1 Then saw Jacob that there was corn in Egypt, —and Jacob said to his sons, Wherefore look ye one at another?
Now Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, so Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"
2 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.
He said, "Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us from there, so that we may live and not die."
3 So Joseph’s ten brethren went down, —to buy corn from the Egyptians;
So Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 but, Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, —for he said, Lest there befall him any mischief.
But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "Some harm might happen to him."
5 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.
So the sons of Israel went to buy among the other travelers, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 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.
Now Joseph was the ruler over the country, and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the ground.
7 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.
Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but he acted like he did not know them, and spoke harshly with them. And he said to them, "Where do you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."
8 And Joseph recognised his brethren, —whereas they, recognised him not.
So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
9 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!
Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies. You have come to look for the vulnerabilities of the country."
10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, —but, thy servants, are come to buy food.
But they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
11 All of us, are, sons of one man, —honest men, are we: thy servants are not, spies.
We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies."
12 And he said unto him, —Nay! but, the nakedness of the land, are ye come in to see.
But he said to them, "No, but you have come to look for the vulnerabilities of the country."
13 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!
But they said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and look, the youngest is now with our father, and one is no more."
14 And Joseph said unto them, —The very thing, that I spake unto you, saying—Spies, are, ye.
But Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, saying, 'You are spies.'
15 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.
This is how you will be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave from here until your youngest brother comes here.
16 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.
Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you will stay in prison, so that your words can be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."
17 So he drew them all together into ward, for three days.
So he put all of them together in prison for three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them on the third day, This, do and live, —God himself, do, I, revere.
Then Joseph said to them the third day, "Do what I say, and live, for I fear God.
19 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;
If you are honest, then let one of your brothers remain confined in your prison; but you go and carry grain for the hunger of your households.
20 and your youngest brother, shall ye bring in unto me, that your words may be confirmed, and ye die not. And they did so.
But bring your youngest brother to me so that your words will be verified, and you won't die." To this they agreed.
21 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.
Then they said to one another, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us, and we wouldn't listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us."
22 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.
Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy,' but you wouldn't listen? Therefore, look, now comes a reckoning for his blood."
23 But, they, knew not that Joseph was hearkening, —for, the interpreter, was between them.
Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter.
24 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.
He stepped away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and talked with them. Then he took Simeon from them and bound him in front of them.
25 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.
Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to restore every man's silver into his sack, and to give them food for the journey. And it was done for them.
26 So they lifted up their corn on their asses, —and went their way, from thence.
They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.
27 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!
As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food at the lodging place, he saw his silver. Look, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28 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?
He said to his brothers, "My silver has been returned. Look, it is in my sack." And they were dismayed, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"
29 So they came in unto Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, —and told him all that had befallen them saying:
Then they returned to their father Jacob to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
30 The man that is lord of the land spake unto us harsh things, —and then delivered us up. as spies of the land.
"The man, the lord of the country, spoke harshly to us, and he put us in custody as spies of the country.
31 And we said unto him Honest men, are, we, —we are not spies!
But we said to him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.
32 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.
We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.'
33 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;
The man, the lord of the country, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the hunger of your households, and go your way.
34 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.
Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you may travel in the land.'"
35 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,
Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that look, 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 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.
Then their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All this has come against me."
37 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.
Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him to you. Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you."
38 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)
But he said, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should happen to him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol." (Sheol h7585)

< Genesis 42 >