Genesis 42
1 And Jacob having seen that there was a sale [of corn] in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are you indolent?
When Jacob found out grain was available in Egypt, he asked his sons, “Why do you keep on looking at each other to do something?
2 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.
I've heard there's grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us so we can stay alive—if not, we're going to die!”
3 And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn out of Egypt.
So ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain.
4 But [Jacob] sent not Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, with his brethren; for he said, Lest, haply, disease befall him.
But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his other brothers, for he said, “I'm afraid something bad might happen to him.”
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy with those that came, for the famine was in the land of Chanaan.
So Israel's sons went to buy grain along with everyone else, because there was famine in Canaan too.
6 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.
Joseph was the governor of the country and he sold grain to all the people there. So Joseph's brothers went to him, and bowed low before him with their faces to the ground.
7 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.
Joseph recognized them as soon as he saw them, but he acted like a stranger towards them and spoke to them in a severe way, saying, “Where are you from?” “From the country of Canaan,” they replied. “We've come to buy food.”
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
Even though Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him.
9 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.
Joseph thought back to the dreams he'd had about them, and told them, “No! You're spies! You've come to discover our country's weaknesses!”
10 But they said, Nay, Sir, we your servants are come to buy food;
“That's not true, my lord!” they responded. “We, your servants, have just come to buy food.
11 we are all sons of one man; we are peaceful, your servants are not spies.
We're all the sons of one man and we're honest. We're not spies!”
12 And he said to them, Nay, but you are come to observe the marks of the land.
“No! You've come to find our country's weaknesses!” he insisted.
13 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.
“Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man living in the country of Canaan,” they explained. “The youngest is right now with our father, and one has passed away.”
14 And Joseph said to them, This is it that I spoke to you, saying, you are spies;
“As I said before, you're spies!” Joseph declared.
15 herein shall you be manifested; by the health of Pharao, you shall not depart hence, unless your younger brother come here.
“This is how your story will be checked. I swear on Pharaoh's life that you'll never leave this country unless your younger brother comes here.
16 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.
One of you go back and bring your other brother here. The others of you will be kept here in prison until it's clear that you're telling the truth. If not, then I swear on Pharaoh's life it proves you're spies!”
17 And he put them in prison three days.
So Joseph put all of them in prison for three days.
18 And he said to them on the third day, This do, and you shall live, for I fear God.
On the third day he told them, “Since I'm someone who respects God, do as I tell you and you'll live.
19 If you be peaceful, let one of your brethren be detained in prison; but go you, and carry back the corn you have purchased.
If you're truly honest, choose one of your brothers to stay here in prison. The rest of you can go back home with grain for your hungry families.
20 And bring your younger brother to me, and your words shall be believed; but, if not, you shall die. And they did so.
But you must bring your youngest brother here to me to prove what you're saying is true. If not, you will all die.” They agreed to do this.
21 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.
“Clearly we're being punished for what we did to our brother,” they said to each other. “We watched him in agony pleading with us for mercy, but we refused to listen to him. That's why we're in all this trouble.”
22 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.
Reuben said to them, “Didn't I tell you, ‘Don't harm the boy!’ But you didn't listen to me. Now we're paying the price for what we did to him.”
23 But they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
They didn't realize that Joseph understood what they were saying because they were talking to him through an interpreter.
24 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.
Joseph stepped away from them because he started crying. He came back when he was able to speak to them again. He chose Simeon and had him tied up as they watched.
25 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.
Joseph gave the order to fill up their sacks with grain, and also to return the money they had paid by placing it in the sacks as well. He also ordered that they should be provided with food for their journey home. All this was done.
26 And having put the corn on the asses, they departed thence.
The brothers loaded the grain onto their donkeys and then set off.
27 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.
On their way they stopped for the night, and one of them opened up his sack to give his donkey something to eat and saw his money there at the top of the sack.
28 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?
He told his brothers, “My money's been returned to me. It's right here at the top of my sack!” They were horrified! Trembling with fear they asked each other, “What is this that God's done to us?”
29 And they came to their father, Jacob, into the land of Chanaan, and reported to him all that had happened to them, saying,
When they arrived home in Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened.
30 The man, the lord of the land, spoke harsh words to us, and put us in prison as spies of the land.
“The man who is the country's governor spoke to us in a severe way, and accused us of spying on the land,” they explained.
31 And we said to him, We are men of peace, we are not spies.
“We told him, ‘We are honest men. We're not spies!
32 We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is with his father today in the land of Chanaan.
We are twelve brothers, the sons of one father. One has passed away and the youngest is right now with our father in the country of Canaan.’
33 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.
Then the man who is the country's governor said to us, ‘This is how I'll find out if you're telling the truth: you are to leave one of your brothers here with me while the rest take grain home for your hungry families.
34 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.
Then bring your youngest brother to me. That way I'll know you're not spies but you're telling the truth. I'll release your brother to you, and you can stay in the country and trade.’”
35 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.
As they emptied their sacks, each one's money bag was there in his sack! When they and their father saw the money bags, they were horrified.
36 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.
Jacob their father accused them, “You have taken Joseph from me—he's gone! Simeon is gone too! Now you want to take Benjamin away! I'm the one who's suffering from all of this!”
37 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.
“You can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you,” Reuben assured him. “Trust me with him, and I will bring him home to you myself.”
38 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)
“My son won't go there with you!” Jacob declared. “His brother is dead, and he's the only one I have left. If anything bad happens to him on the journey you're planning, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.” (Sheol h7585)
