Genesis 42

1 Then Jacob, hearing that food was being sold in Egypt, said to his sons: “Why are you negligent?

And Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look one upon 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.”

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down thither and buy [grain] for us from thence, in order that we may live, and not die.

3 And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt,

And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy [grain] out of Egypt.

4 Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.”

But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest mischief may 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 came to buy [grain] among those that came; for the famine was in 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

And Joseph, he was the governor over the land — he it was that sold [the corn] to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came and bowed down to him, the face to the earth.

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 Joseph saw his brethren, and knew them; but he made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them, and said to them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.

8 And although he knew his brothers, he was not known by them.

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they did not know 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.”

And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamt of them; and he said to them, Ye are spies: to see the exposed places of the land ye are come.

10 And they said: “It is not so, my lord. But your servants have arrived in order to buy food.

And they said to him, No, my lord; but to buy food are thy servants come.

11 We are all sons of one man. We have come in peace, nor do any of your subjects devise evil.”

We are all one man's sons; we are honest: thy servants are not spies.

12 And he answered them: “It is otherwise. You have come to examine the unguarded parts of this land.”

And he said to them, No; but to see the exposed places of the land are ye come.

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.”

And they said, Thy servants were twelve brethren, sons of one man, in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

14 He said: “This is just as I have said. You are scouts.

And Joseph said to them, That is it that I have spoken to you, saying, Ye 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.

By this ye shall be put to the proof: as Pharaoh lives, ye shall not go forth hence, unless your youngest brother come hither!

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 you, that he may fetch your brother, but ye shall be imprisoned, and your words shall be put to the proof, whether the truth is in you; and if not, as Pharaoh lives, ye are spies.

17 Therefore, he delivered them into custody for three days.

And he put them in custody 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 Joseph said to them the third day, This do, that ye may live: I fear God.

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 ye are honest, let one of your brethren remain bound in the house of your prison, but go ye, carry grain for 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,

and bring your youngest brother to me, in order that your words be verified, and that ye may not die. And they did so.

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 one to another, We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he besought us, and we did not hearken; therefore this distress is 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 answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the lad? But ye did not hearken; and now behold, his blood also is required.

23 But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.

And they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was 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. And he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him 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.

And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way. And thus did they to them.

26 Then, having loaded their donkeys with the grain, they set out.

And they loaded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.

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,

And one of them opened his sack to give his ass food in the inn, and saw his money, and behold, it was in the mouth of his 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?”

And he said to his brethren, My money is returned [to me], and behold, it is even in my sack. And their heart failed [them], and they were afraid, saying one to another, 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:

And they came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,

30 “The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province.

The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and treated us as spies of the land.

31 And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery.

And we said to him, We are honest; we are 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 brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day 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,

And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, Hereby shall I know that ye are honest: leave one of your brethren with me, and take [for] 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.’”

and bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that ye are not spies, but are honest. Your brother will I give up to you; and ye may 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.

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man had his bundle of money in his sack; and they saw their bundles of money, they and their father, and were afraid.

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.”

And Jacob their father said to them, Ye have bereaved me of children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin! All these things are 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.”

And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not back to thee: give him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

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 he said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left; and if mischief should befall him by the way in which ye go, then would ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)