Genesis 42

1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

And Jacob hearing that food was sold in Egypt, said to his sons: Why are ye careless?

2 “Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

I have heard that wheat is sold in Egypt: go ye down, and buy us necessaries, that we may live, and not be consumed with want.

3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

So the ten brethren of Joseph went down, to buy corn in Egypt:

4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”

Whilst Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brethren: Lest perhaps he take any harm in the journey.

5 So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.

And they entered into the land of Egypt with others that went to buy. For the famine was in the land of Chanaan.

6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and corn was sold by his direction to the people. And when his brethren had bowed down to him,

7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”

And he knew them, he spoke as it were to strangers somewhat roughly, asking them: Whence came you? They answered: From the land of Chanaan, to buy necessaries of life.

8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

And though he knew his brethren, he was not known by them.

9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

And remembering the dreams, which formerly he had dreamed, he said to them: You are spies. You are come to view the weaker parts of the land.

10 “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.

But they said: It is not so, my lord, but thy servants are come to buy food.

11 We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”

We are all the sons of one man: we are come as peaceable men, neither do thy servants go about any evil.

12 “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

And he answered them: It is otherwise: you are come to consider the unfenced parts of this land.

13 But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

But they said: We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Chanaan: the youngest is with our father, the other is not living.

14 Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!

He saith: This is it that I said: You are spies.

15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

I shall now presently try what you are: by the health of Pharao you shall not depart hence, until your youngest brother come.

16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”

Send one of you to fetch him: and you shall be in prison, till what you have said be proved, whether it be true or false: or else by the health of Pharao you are spies.

17 So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,

So he put them in prison three days.

18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:

And the third day he brought them out of prison, and said: Do as I have said, and you shall live: for I fear God.

19 If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.

If you be peaceable men, let one of your brethren be bound in prison: and go ye your ways and carry the corn that you have bought, unto your houses.

20 Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.

And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may find your words to be true, and you may not die. They did as he had said.

21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

And they talked one to another: We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is this affliction come upon us.

22 And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

And Ruben one of them, said: Did not I say to you: Do not sin against the boy: and you would not hear me? Behold his blood is required.

23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

And they knew not that Joseph understood, because he spoke to them by an interpreter.

24 And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.

And he turned himself away a little while, and wept: and returning he spoke to them.

25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,

And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he commanded his servants to fill their sacks with wheat, and to put every man’s money again in their sacks, and to give them besides provisions for the way: and they did so.

26 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.

But they having loaded their asses with the corn, went their way.

27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.

And one of them opening his sack, to give his beast provender in the inn, saw the money in the sack’s mouth;

28 “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

And said to his brethren: My money is given me again, behold it is in the sack. And they were astonished, and troubled, and said to one another: What is this that God hath done unto us?

29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:

And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Chanaan, and they told him all things that had befallen them, saying:

30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

The lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us to be spies of the country.

31 But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

And we answered him: We are peaceable men, and we mean no plot.

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’

We are twelve brethren born of one father: one is not living, the youngest is with our father in the land of Chanaan.

33 Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.

And he said to us: Hereby shall I know that you are peaceable men: Leave one of your brethren with me, and take ye necessary provision for your houses, and go your ways.

34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”

And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know you are not spies: and you may receive this man again, that is kept in prison: and afterwards may have leave to buy what you will.

35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.

When they had told this, they poured out their corn and every man found his money tied in the mouth of his sack: and all being astonished together,

36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”

Their father Jacob said: You have made me to be without children: Joseph is not living, Simeon is kept in bonds, and Benjamin you will take away: all these evils are fallen upon me.

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

And Ruben answered him: Kill my two sons if I bring him not again to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to thee.

38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” (Sheol h7585)

But he said: My son shall not go down with you: his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if any mischief befall him in the land to which you go, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to hell. (Sheol h7585)