< Genesis 42 >

1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt. And Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
And Jacob having seen that there was a sale [of corn] in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are ye indolent?
2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Get you down there, and buy for us from there, that we may live, and not die.
Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; go down thither, and buy for us a little food, that we may live, and not die.
3 And Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn out of Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he said, Lest perhaps harm befall him.
But [Jacob] sent not Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, with his brethren; for he said, Lest, haply, disease befall him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
And the sons of Israel came to buy with those that came, for the famine was in the land of Chanaan.
6 And Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth.
And Joseph was ruler of the land; he sold to all the people of the land. And the brethren of Joseph, having come, did reverence to him, [bowing] with the face to the ground.
7 And Joseph saw his brothers, and he knew them, but made himself foreign to them, and spoke roughly with them. And he said to them. From where come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
And when Joseph saw his brethren, he knew them, and estranged himself from them, and spoke hard words to them; and said to them, Whence are ye come? And they said, Out of the land of Chanaan, to buy food.
8 And Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him.
And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them. And said to them, Ye are spies; ye have come to see the nakedness of the land.
And Joseph remembered his dream, which he saw; and he said to them, Ye are spies; to observe the marks of the land are ye come.
10 And they said to him, No, my lord, but thy servants have come to buy food.
But they said, Nay, Sir, we thy servants are come to buy food;
11 We are all one man's sons. We are true men. Thy servants are no spies.
we are all sons of one man; we are peaceable, thy servants are not spies.
12 And he said to them, No, but ye have come to see the nakedness of the land.
And he said to them, Nay, but ye are come to observe the marks of the land.
13 And they said, We thy servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. And, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, in the land of Chanaan; and, behold, the youngest is with our father to-day, but the other one is not.
14 And Joseph said to them, This is that which I spoke to you, saying, Ye are spies.
And Joseph said to them, This is it that I spoke to you, saying, ye are spies;
15 By this ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth from here unless your youngest brother comes here.
herein shall ye be manifested; by the health of Pharao, ye shall not depart hence, unless your younger brother come hither.
16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother. And ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.
Send one of you, and take your brother; and go ye to prison, till your words be clear, whether ye speak the truth or not; but, if not, by the health of Pharao, verily ye are spies.
17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
And he put them in prison three days.
18 And Joseph said to them the third day, This do, and live, for I fear God:
And he said to them on the third day, This do, and ye shall live, for I fear God.
19 If ye be true men, let one of your brothers be bound in your prison house, but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses,
If ye be peaceable, let one of your brethren be detained in prison; but go ye, and carry back the corn ye have purchased.
20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
And bring your younger brother to me, and your words shall be believed; but, if not, ye shall die. And they did so.
21 And they said one to another, We are truly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear. Therefore this distress has come upon us.
And each said to his brother, Yes, indeed, for we are in fault concerning our brother, when we disregarded the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we hearkened not to him; and therefore has this affliction come upon us.
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Sin not against the child, and ye would not hear? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.
And Ruben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Hurt not the boy, and ye heard me not? and, behold, his blood is required.
23 And they did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.
But they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24 And he turned himself around 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.
And Joseph turned away from them, and wept; and again he came to them, and spoke to them; and he took Symeon from them, and bound him before their eyes.
25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provisions for the way. And thus it was done to them.
And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with corn, and to return their money to each into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and it was so done to them.
26 And they loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.
And having put the corn on the asses, they departed thence.
27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey provender in the lodging place, he saw his money, and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
And one having opened his sack to give his asses fodder, at the place where they rested, saw also his bundle of money, for it was on the mouth of his sack.
28 And he said to his brothers, My money is restored, and, lo, it is even in my sack. And their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, What is this that God has done to us?
And he said to his brethren, My money has been restored to me, and behold this is in my sack. And their heart was wonder-struck, and they were troubled, saying one to another, 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 had befallen them, saying,
And they came to their father, Jacob, into the land of Chanaan, and reported to him all that had happened to them, saying,
30 The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
The man, the lord of the land, spoke harsh words to us, and put us in prison as spies of the land.
31 And we said to him, We are true men, and we are no spies.
And we said to him, We are men of peace, we are not spies.
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is with his father to-day in the land of Chanaan.
33 And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, By this I shall know that ye are true men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way,
And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, Herein shall I know that ye are peaceable; leave one brother here with me, and having taken the corn ye have purchased for your family, depart.
34 and bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and ye shall trade in the land.
And bring to me your younger brother; then I shall know that ye are not spies, but that ye are men of peace: and I will restore you your brother, and ye shall 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 their bundles of money, they were afraid.
And it came to pass as they were emptying their sacks, there was each man's bundle of money in his sack; and they and their father saw their bundles of money, and they were afraid.
36 And Jacob their father said to them, Ye have bereaved me of my sons. Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.
And their father Jacob said to them, Ye have bereaved me. Joseph is not, Symeon is not, and will ye take Benjamin? all these things have come upon me.
37 And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Kill my two sons if I do not bring him to thee. Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
And Ruben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.
38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm befalls him by the way in which ye go, then ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
But he said, My son shall not go down with you, because his brother is dead, and he only has been left; and [suppose] it shall come to pass that he is afflicted by the way by which ye go, then ye shall bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades. (Sheol h7585)

< Genesis 42 >