Genesis 42
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
Then saw Jacob that there was corn in Egypt, —and Jacob said to his sons, Wherefore look ye one at another?
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.”
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 ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
So Joseph’s ten brethren went down, —to buy corn from the Egyptians;
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
but, Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, —for he said, Lest there befall him any mischief.
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.
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 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.
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 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 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 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
And Joseph recognised his brethren, —whereas they, recognised him not.
9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
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 “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
And they said unto him, Nay, 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.”
All of us, are, sons of one man, —honest men, are we: thy servants are not, spies.
12 “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
And he said unto him, —Nay! but, the nakedness of the land, are ye come in to see.
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.”
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 Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
And Joseph said unto them, —The very thing, that I spake unto you, saying—Spies, are, ye.
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.
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 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—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 Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
So he drew them all together into ward, for three days.
18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
And Joseph said unto them on the third day, This, do and live, —God himself, do, I, revere.
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 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 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 your youngest brother, shall ye bring in unto me, that your words may be confirmed, and ye die not. And they did so.
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 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, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
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 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
But, they, knew not that Joseph was hearkening, —for, the interpreter, was between them.
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.
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 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,
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 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
So they lifted up their corn on their asses, —and went their way, from thence.
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 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 “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?”
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 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:
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 who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
The man that is lord of the land spake unto us harsh things, —and then delivered us up. as spies of the land.
31 But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
And we said unto him Honest men, are, we, —we are not spies!
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.’
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 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.
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 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 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 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.
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 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!”
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 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.”
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 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)
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 h7585)
