Genesis 42

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

Now Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, so Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"

2 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.

He said, "Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us from there, so that we may live and not die."

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

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

4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest mischief may befall him.

But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "Some harm might happen to him."

5 So the sons of Israel came to buy [grain] among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

So the sons of Israel went to buy among the other travelers, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 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.

Now Joseph was the ruler over the country, and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the ground.

7 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.

Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but he acted like he did not know them, and spoke harshly with them. And he said to them, "Where do you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."

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

So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

9 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.

Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies. You have come to look for the vulnerabilities of the country."

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

But they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

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

We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies."

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

But he said to them, "No, but you have come to look for the vulnerabilities of the country."

13 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.

But they said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and look, the youngest is now with our father, and one is no more."

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

But Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, saying, 'You are spies.'

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

This is how you will be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave from here until your youngest brother comes here.

16 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.

Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you will stay in prison, so that your words can be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."

17 And he put them in custody three days.

So he put all of them together in prison for three days.

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

Then Joseph said to them the third day, "Do what I say, and live, for I fear God.

19 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;

If you are honest, then let one of your brothers remain confined in your prison; but you go and carry grain for the hunger of your households.

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

But bring your youngest brother to me so that your words will be verified, and you won't die." To this they agreed.

21 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.

Then they said to one another, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us, and we wouldn't listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us."

22 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.

Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy,' but you wouldn't listen? Therefore, look, now comes a reckoning for his blood."

23 And they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them.

Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter.

24 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.

He stepped away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and talked with them. Then he took Simeon from them and bound him in front of them.

25 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.

Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to restore every man's silver into his sack, and to give them food for the journey. And it was done for them.

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

They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.

27 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.

As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food at the lodging place, he saw his silver. Look, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 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?

He said to his brothers, "My silver has been returned. Look, it is in my sack." And they were dismayed, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"

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

Then they returned to their father Jacob to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,

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

"The man, the lord of the country, spoke harshly to us, and he put us in custody as spies of the country.

31 And we said to him, We are honest; we are not spies:

But we said to him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.

32 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.

We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.'

33 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,

The man, the lord of the country, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the hunger of your households, and go your way.

34 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.

Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you may travel in the land.'"

35 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.

Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that look, every man's bag of silver was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.

36 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.

Then their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All this has come against me."

37 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.

Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him to you. Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you."

38 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)

But he said, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should happen to him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol." (Sheol h7585)