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?

Then Jacob, hearing that food was being sold in Egypt, said to his sons: “Why are you negligent?

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.

I have heard that wheat is being sold in Egypt. Go down and buy necessities for us, so that we may be able to live, and not be consumed by destitution.”

3 And Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt,

4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he said, Lest perhaps harm befall him.

Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.”

5 And the sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

And they entered into the land of Egypt with the others who traveled to buy. For the famine was in the land of Canaan.

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 governor in the land of Egypt, and grain was sold under his direction to the people. And when his brothers had reverenced him

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 he had recognized them, he spoke harshly, as if to foreigners, questioning them: “Where did you come from?” And they responded, “From the land of Canaan, to buy necessary provisions.”

8 And Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him.

And although he knew his brothers, he was not known by them.

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 remembering the dreams, which he had seen in another time, he said to them: “You are scouts. You have come in order to see which parts of the land are weaker.”

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

And they said: “It is not so, my lord. But your servants have arrived in order 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 have come in peace, nor do any of your subjects devise evil.”

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

And he answered them: “It is otherwise. You have come to examine the unguarded parts of this 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.

But they said: “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father; the other is not living.”

14 And Joseph said to them, This is that which I spoke to you, saying, Ye are spies.

He said: “This is just as I have said. You are scouts.

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.

I will now continue to put you to the test. By the health of Pharaoh, you will not depart from here, until your youngest brother arrives.

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 bring him. But you will be in chains, until what you have said is proven to be either true or false. Otherwise, by the health of Pharaoh, you are scouts.”

17 And he put them all together into ward three days.

Therefore, he delivered them into custody for three days.

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

Then, on the third day, he brought them out of prison, and he said: “Do as I have said, and you will 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 you are peaceful, let one of your brothers be bound in prison. Then you may go away and carry the grain that you have bought to your houses.

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 youngest brother to me, so that I may be able to test your words, and you may not die.” They did as he had said,

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 they spoke to one another: “We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he begged us and we would not listen. For that reason, this tribulation has 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 Reuben, one of them, said: “Did not I say to you, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen to me? See, his blood is exacted.”

23 And they did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.

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 he turned himself away briefly and wept. And returning, he spoke to them.

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 taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he ordered his ministers to fill their sacks with wheat, and to replace each one’s money in their sacks, and to give them, in addition, provisions for the way. And they did so.

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

Then, having loaded their donkeys with the grain, they set out.

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 of them, opening a sack to give his beast of burden fodder at the inn, looked upon the money at the sack’s mouth,

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 brothers: “My money has returned to me. See, it is held in the sack.” And they were astonished and troubled, and they said to one 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 went to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, and they explained to him all the things that had befallen them, saying:

30 The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

“The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province.

31 And we said to him, We are true men, and we are no spies.

And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery.

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 brothers conceived of one father. One is not living; the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’

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 he said to us: ‘Thus will I prove that you are peaceful. Release one of your brothers to me, and take necessary provisions for your houses, and go away,

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 your youngest brother to me, so that I may know that you are not scouts. And this one, who is held in chains, you may be able to receive again. And thereafter, you shall have permission to buy what you want.’”

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.

Having said this, when they poured out their grain, each found his money tied to the mouth of his sack. And all were terrified together.

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.

Their father Jacob said, “You have caused me to be without children. Joseph is not living, Simeon is held in chains, and Benjamin you would carry away. All these evils have fallen back 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 Reuben answered him, “Put my two sons to death, if I do not lead him back to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.”

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 will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any adversity will befall him in the land to which you travel, you would lead my grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave.” (Sheol h7585)