Genesis 42
1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, 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 corn in Egypt: go down thither, and buy for us from thence; 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 corn in 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 perhaps mischief shall befall him.
But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy [corn] 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 [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.
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 he knew them, but made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them; and he 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 knew not him.
Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
9 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.
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 have 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] true [men]; thy servants are no 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 nakedness of the land have ye come.
He said to them, “No, you have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”
13 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.
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] what I spoke 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 proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother shall 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, 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.
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 all together into custody three days.
He put them all in custody for three days.
18 And Joseph said to them the third day, This do, and live; [for] I fear God:
Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God.
19 If ye [are] true [men], let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
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 But bring your youngest brother to me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall 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 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.
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 young man; and ye would not hear? therefore behold also his blood 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 knew not that Joseph understood [them]; for he spoke to them by an interpreter.
They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.
24 And he turned himself away from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, 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 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he 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 the corn, and departed thence.
The brothers loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.
27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money: for behold, it [was] in his sack's mouth.
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 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?
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 to Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell 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 [who is] the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
“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] true [men]; we are no 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 country, said to us, By this shall I know that ye [are] true [men]: leave one of your brethren [here] with me, and take [food for] the famine of your households, and depart:
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: then shall I know that ye [are] no spies, but [that] ye [are] true [men]: then will I deliver to you your brother, and ye shall traffick 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's bundle of money [was] in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they 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, Me have ye bereaved: Joseph [is] not, and Simeon [is] not, and ye will take Benjamin [away]: 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 to thee: deliver 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 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief shall befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (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)
