Genesis 42

1 Now Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are you looking at one another?

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

2 And he said, I have had news that there is grain in Egypt: go down there and get grain for us, so that life and not death may be ours.

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 Joseph's ten brothers went down to get grain from Egypt.

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

4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with them, for fear, as he said, that some evil might come to him.

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

5 And the sons of Israel came with all the others to get grain: for they were very short of food in 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 ruler over all the land, and it was he who gave out the grain to all the people of the land; and Joseph's brothers came before him and went down on their faces to the earth.

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, it was clear to him who they were, but he made himself strange to them, and talking roughly to them, said, Where do you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to get 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 Now though Joseph saw that these were his brothers, they had no idea who he was.

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

9 Then the memory of his dreams about them came back to Joseph, and he said to them, You have come secretly to see how poor the land is.

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 And they said to him, Not so, my lord: your servants have come with money to get food.

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

11 We are all one man's sons, we are true men; we have not come with any secret purpose.

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

12 And he said to them, No, but you have come to see how poor the land is.

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

13 Then they said, We your servants are twelve brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan; the youngest of us is now with our father, and one is dead.

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 And Joseph said, It is as I said; you have come with some secret purpose;

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

15 But in this way will you be put to the test: by the life of Pharaoh, you will not go away from this place till 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, and the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are true; if not, by the life of Pharaoh, your purpose is certainly secret.

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 he put them in prison for three days.

So he put them in prison three days.

18 And on the third day Joseph said to them, Do this, if you would keep your lives: for I am a god-fearing man:

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 true men, let one of you be kept in prison, while you go and take grain for the needs of your families;

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 And come back to me with your youngest brother, so that your words may be seen to be true, and you will not be put to death. This is what you are to do.

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 And they said to one another, Truly, we did wrong to our brother, for we saw his grief of mind, and we did not give ear to his prayers; that is why this trouble has come on 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 said to them, Did I not say to you, Do the child no wrong? but you gave no attention; so now, punishment has come on us 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 were not conscious that the sense of their words was clear to Joseph, for he had been talking to them through one who had knowledge of their language.

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

24 And turning away from them, he was overcome with weeping; then he went on talking to them again and took Simeon and put chains on him before their eyes.

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

25 Then Joseph gave orders for their bags to be made full of grain, and for every man's money to be put back into his bag, and for food to be given them for the journey: which was done.

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 Then they put the bags of grain on their asses and went away.

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

27 Now at their night's resting-place one of them, opening his bag to give his ass some food, saw his money in the mouth of the bag.

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

28 And he said to his brothers, My money has been given back: it is in my bag; then their hearts became full of fear, and turning to one another they said, What is this which 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 So when they came to Jacob their father, in the land of Canaan, they gave him an account of all their experiences, saying,

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 the ruler of the country was rough with us and put us in prison, saying that we had come with a secret evil purpose.

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

31 And we said to him, We are true men, we have no evil designs;

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

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is dead, 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 And the ruler of the land said, In this way I may be certain that you are true men; let one of you be kept here with me, while you go and take grain for the needs of your families;

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 And come back to me with your youngest brother: then I will be certain that you are true men, and I will give your brother back to you and let you do 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 And when they took the grain out of their bags, it was seen that every man's parcel of money was in his bag; and when they and their father saw the money, they were full of fear.

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 And Jacob their father said to them, You have taken my children from me: Joseph is gone and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin away; all these things have come on 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 And Reuben said, Put my two sons to death if I do not come back to you with him; let him be in my care and I will give him safely back to you.

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 And he said, I will not let my son go down with you; for his brother is dead and he is all I have: if evil overtakes him on the journey, then through you will my grey head go down to the underworld 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)