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?"

And Jacob sees that there is grain in Egypt, and Jacob says to his sons, “Why do you look at each other?”

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."

He also says, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt, go down there, and buy for us from there, and we live and do not die”;

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

and the ten brothers of Joseph go down to buy grain in Egypt,

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

and Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob has not sent with his brothers, for he said, “Lest harm meet him.”

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

And the sons of Israel come to buy in the midst of those coming, for the famine has been in 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.

and Joseph is the ruler over the land, he who is selling to all the people of the land, and Joseph’s brothers come and bow themselves to him—face to the earth.

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 Joseph sees his brothers, and discerns them, and makes himself strange to them, and speaks sharp things with them, and says to them, “From where have you come?” And they say, “From the land of Canaan—to buy food.”

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

And Joseph discerns his brothers, but they have not discerned 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."

and Joseph remembers the dreams which he dreamed of them and says to them, “You [are] spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

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

And they say to him, “No, my lord, but 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 of us sons of one man, we [are] right men; your servants have not been spies”;

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

and he says to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land”;

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."

and they say, “Your servants [are] twelve brothers; we [are] sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the young one [is] with our father today, and one is not.”

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

And Joseph says to them, “This [is] that which I have spoken to you, saying, 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.

by this you are proved: [as] Pharaoh lives, if you go out from this—except by your young brother coming 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 you, and let him bring your brother, and you, remain bound, and let your words be proved, whether truth be with you: and if not, [as] Pharaoh lives, surely you [are] spies”;

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

and he gathers them into confinement [for] three days.

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

And Joseph says to them on the third day, “Do this and live; I fear God!

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] right men, let one of your brothers be bound in the house of your confinement, and you, go, carry in grain [for] the famine of your houses,

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

and you bring your young brother to me, and your words are established, and you do not die”; and they do so.

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."

And they say to one another, “Truly we [are] guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul, in his making supplication to us, and we did not listen: therefore this distress has come on 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 answers them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the boy? And you did not listen; and his blood also, behold, it is required.”

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

And they have not known that Joseph understands, for the interpreter [is] 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 turns around from them, and weeps, and turns back to them, and speaks to them, and takes Simeon from them, and binds him 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.

And Joseph commands, and they fill their vessels [with] grain, also to put back the money of each of them into his sack, and to give to them provision for the way; and one does to them so.

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

And they lift up their grain on their donkeys, and go from there,

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.

and the one opens his sack to give provender to his donkey at a lodging-place, and he sees his money, and behold, it [is] in the mouth of his bag,

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?"

and he says to his brothers, “My money has been put back, and also, behold, in my bag”: and their heart goes out, and they tremble, to one another saying, “What [is] this 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,

And they come to their father Jacob, to the land of Canaan, and they declare to him all the things meeting them, saying,

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, the lord of the land, has spoken with us sharp things, and makes us as spies of the land;

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

and we say to him, We [are] right men, we have not been 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 our father, one is not, and the young one [is] today 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.

And the man, the lord of the land, says to us, By this I know that you [are] right men—leave one of your brothers with me, and take [for] the famine of your houses 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.'"

and bring your young brother to me, and I know that you [are] not spies, but you [are] right men; I give your brother to you, and you trade with 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.

And it comes to pass, they are emptying their sacks, and behold, the bundle of each man’s silver [is] in his sack, and they see their bundles of silver, they and their father, and are afraid;

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."

and their father Jacob says to them, “You have bereaved me; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and Benjamin you take—all these [things] have been 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."

And Reuben speaks to his father, saying, “You put to death my two sons, if I do not bring him to you; give him into my hand, and I bring him back to you”;

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)

and he says, “My son does not go down with you, for his brother [is] dead, and he by himself is left; when harm has met him in the way in which you go, then you have brought down my grey hairs in sorrow to Sheol.” (Sheol h7585)