< Genesis 42 >
1 Then saw Jacob that there was corn in Egypt, —and Jacob said to his sons, Wherefore look ye one at 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.
3 So Joseph’s ten brethren went down, —to buy corn from the Egyptians;
4 but, Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, —for he said, Lest there befall him any mischief.
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.
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.
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.
8 And Joseph recognised his brethren, —whereas they, recognised him not.
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!
10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, —but, thy servants, are come to buy food.
11 All of us, are, sons of one man, —honest men, are we: thy servants are not, spies.
12 And he said unto him, —Nay! but, the nakedness of the land, are ye come in to see.
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!
14 And Joseph said unto them, —The very thing, that I spake unto you, saying—Spies, are, ye.
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.
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.
17 So he drew them all together into ward, for three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them on the third day, This, do and live, —God himself, do, I, revere.
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;
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.
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.
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.
23 But, they, knew not that Joseph was hearkening, —for, the interpreter, was between them.
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.
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.
26 So they lifted up their corn on their asses, —and went their way, from thence.
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!
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?
29 So they came in unto Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, —and told him all that had befallen 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.
31 And we said unto him Honest men, are, we, —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.
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;
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.
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,
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.
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.
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 )