Genesis 42

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

And Jacob having seen that there was a sale [of corn] in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are you indolent?

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.”

Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; go down there, and buy for us a little food, that we may live, and not die.

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

And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn 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 [Jacob] sent not Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, with his brethren; for he said, Lest, haply, disease 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.

And the sons of Israel came to buy with those that came, for the famine was in the land of Chanaan.

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 was ruler of the land; he sold to all the people of the land. And the brethren of Joseph, having come, did reverence to him, [bowing] with the face 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 brethren, he knew them, and estranged himself from them, and spoke hard words to them; and said to them, Whence are you come? And they said, Out of the land of Chanaan, to buy food.

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

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not 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 his dream, which he saw; and he said to them, You are spies; to observe the marks of the land are you come.

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

But they said, Nay, Sir, we your servants are 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; we are peaceful, your 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, Nay, but you are come to observe the marks of the land.

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, We your servants are twelve brethren, in the land of Chanaan; and, behold, the youngest is with our father today, but the other one is not.

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

And Joseph said to them, This is it that I spoke to you, saying, 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.

herein shall you be manifested; by the health of Pharao, you shall not depart hence, unless your younger brother come 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 you, and take your brother; and go you to prison, till your words be clear, whether you speak the truth or not; but, if not, by the health of Pharao, verily you are spies.

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

And he put them in prison 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 he said to them on the third day, This do, and you shall live, for 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 you be peaceful, let one of your brethren be detained in prison; but go you, and carry back the corn you have purchased.

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 younger brother to me, and your words shall be believed; but, if not, you shall 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.”

And each said to his brother, Yes, indeed, for we are in fault concerning our brother, when we disregarded the anguish of his soul, when he implored us, and we listened not to him; and therefore has this affliction 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 Ruben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Hurt not the boy, and you heard me not? and, behold, his blood is required.

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

But they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

24 And he turned himself away briefly and wept. And returning, he spoke to them.

And Joseph turned away from them, and wept; and again he came to them, and spoke to them; and he took Symeon from 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 return their money to each into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and it was so done to them.

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

And having put the corn on the asses, they 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 having opened his sack to give his asses fodder, at the place where they rested, saw also his bundle of money, for it was on 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 has been restored to me, and behold this is in my sack. And their heart was wonder-struck, and they were troubled, 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 to their father, Jacob, into the land of Chanaan, and reported to him all that had happened to 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 harsh words to us, and put us in prison 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 men of peace, 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 with his father today in the land of Chanaan.

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, Herein shall I know that you are peaceful; leave one brother here with me, and having taken the corn you have purchased for your family, depart.

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 to me your younger brother; then I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are men of peace: and I will restore you your brother, and you shall 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 were emptying their sacks, there was each man's bundle of money in his sack; and they and their father saw their bundles of money, and they 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 their father Jacob said to them, You have bereaved me. Joseph is not, Symeon is not, and will you take Benjamin? all these things have come upon 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 Ruben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to you; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to you.

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, because his brother is dead, and he only has been left; and [suppose] it shall come to pass that he is afflicted by the way by which you go, then you shall bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades. (Sheol h7585)