Genesis 42

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

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

2 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."

“Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

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

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

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

But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”

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

So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.

6 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.

Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

7 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."

And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”

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

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

9 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."

Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

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

“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.

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

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

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

“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

13 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."

But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

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

Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!

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

And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

16 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."

Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”

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

So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,

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

and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:

19 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.

If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.

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

Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.

21 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."

Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

22 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."

And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

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

They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

24 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.

And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.

25 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.

Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,

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

and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.

27 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.

At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.

28 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?"

“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

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

When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:

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

“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

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

But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

32 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.'

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

33 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.

Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.

34 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.'"

But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”

35 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.

As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.

36 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."

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”

37 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."

Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

38 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)

But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” (Sheol h7585)