< Genesis 42 >

1 Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons: 'Why do ye look one upon another?'
And Jacob having seen that there was a sale [of corn] in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are you indolent?
2 And he said: 'Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.'
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 Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt.
And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn out of Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall him.'
But [Jacob] sent not Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, with his brethren; for he said, Lest, haply, disease befall him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Caanan.
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 the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down to him with their faces to the earth.
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 Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto them: 'Whence come ye?' And they said: 'From the land of Canaan to buy food.'
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 Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew him not.
And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them: 'Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'
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 unto him: 'Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
But they said, Nay, Sir, we your servants are come to buy food;
11 We are all one man's sons; we are upright men, thy servants are no spies.'
we are all sons of one man; we are peaceful, your servants are not spies.
12 And he said unto them: 'Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'
And he said to them, Nay, but you are come to observe the marks of the land.
13 And they said: 'We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.'
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 And Joseph said unto them: 'That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies.
And Joseph said to them, This is it that I spoke to you, saying, you are spies;
15 Hereby ye shall be proved, as Pharaoh liveth, ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
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 let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh liveth, surely ye are spies.'
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 And he put them all together into ward three days.
And he put them in prison three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day. 'This do, and 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 ye be upright men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry corn for the famine of 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 unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die.' And they did so.
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 said one to another: 'We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress 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 answered them, saying: 'Spoke I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.'
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 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for the interpreter was between them.
But they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24 And he turned himself about 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.
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 Then Joseph commanded 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 was it done unto them.
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 And they laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence.
And having put the corn on the asses, they departed thence.
27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
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 unto his brethren: 'My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack.' And their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying: 'What is this that God hath done unto 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 came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all 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 man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
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 said unto him: We are upright men; we are no spies.
And we said to him, We are men of peace, 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 brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is with his father today in the land of Chanaan.
33 And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us: Hereby shall I know that ye are upright men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take corn for the famine of your houses, and go your way.
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 unto me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are upright men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.'
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 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
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 And Jacob their father said unto them: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me are all these things come.'
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 spoke unto his father, saying: 'Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.'
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 And he said: 'My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs 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)

< Genesis 42 >