Genesis 42

1 Now Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are you looking 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 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.

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

So Joseph’s ten brethren went down, —to buy corn from the Egyptians;

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

but, Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, —for he said, Lest there befall him any mischief.

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.

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 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.

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, 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 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 Now though Joseph saw that these were his brothers, they had no idea who he was.

And Joseph recognised his brethren, —whereas they, recognised him not.

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

And they said unto him, Nay, 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.

All of us, are, sons of one man, —honest men, are we: thy servants are not, spies.

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

And he said unto him, —Nay! but, the nakedness of the land, are ye come in to see.

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.

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

And Joseph said unto them, —The very thing, that I spake unto you, saying—Spies, are, ye.

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.

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, 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—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 he put them in prison for three days.

So he drew them all together into ward, for 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 Joseph said unto them on the third day, This, do and live, —God himself, do, I, revere.

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 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 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 your youngest brother, shall ye bring in unto me, that your words may be confirmed, and ye die not. And they did so.

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 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 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 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 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.

But, they, knew not that Joseph was hearkening, —for, the interpreter, was between them.

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.

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 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.

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

So they lifted up their corn on their asses, —and went their way, from thence.

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 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 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?

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 So when they came to Jacob their father, in the land of Canaan, they gave him an account of all their experiences, saying,

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 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 man that is lord of the land spake unto us harsh things, —and then delivered us up. as spies of the land.

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

And we said unto him Honest men, are, we, —we are not spies!

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.

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 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;

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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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)

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)