Genesis 42
1 Then Jacob, hearing that food was being sold in Egypt, said to his sons: “Why are you negligent?
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
2 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.”
“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.”
3 And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt,
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.”
But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
5 And they entered into the land of Egypt with the others who traveled to buy. For the famine was in the land of Canaan.
So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
6 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
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.
7 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.”
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.”
8 And although he knew his brothers, he was not known by them.
Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
9 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.”
Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
10 And they said: “It is not so, my lord. But your servants have arrived in order to buy food.
“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
11 We are all sons of one man. We have come in peace, nor do any of your subjects devise evil.”
We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
12 And he answered them: “It is otherwise. You have come to examine the unguarded parts of this land.”
“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
13 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.”
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.”
14 He said: “This is just as I have said. You are scouts.
Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
15 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.
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.
16 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.”
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!”
17 Therefore, he delivered them into custody for three days.
So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
18 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.
and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
19 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.
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.
20 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,
Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.
21 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.”
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.”
22 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.”
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!”
23 But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.
They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
24 And he turned himself away briefly and wept. And returning, he spoke to them.
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.
25 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.
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,
26 Then, having loaded their donkeys with the grain, they set out.
and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
27 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,
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.
28 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?”
“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?”
29 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:
When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:
30 “The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province.
“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
31 And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery.
But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
32 We are twelve brothers conceived of one father. One is not living; the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’
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.’
33 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,
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.
34 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.’”
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.’”
35 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.
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.
36 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.”
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!”
37 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.”
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.”
38 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)
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)
