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 found out grain was available in Egypt, he asked his sons, “Why do you keep on looking at each other to do something?

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."

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

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

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 other brothers, for he said, “I'm afraid something bad might happen to him.”

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

So Israel's sons went to buy grain along with everyone else, because there was famine in Canaan too.

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.

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 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."

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

Even though Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't 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 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 to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have 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 honest men. Your servants are not spies."

We're all the sons of one man and we're honest. We're not spies!”

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

“No! You've come to find our country's weaknesses!” he insisted.

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."

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

“As I said before, you're spies!” Joseph declared.

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.

“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 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."

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

So Joseph put all of them in prison for three days.

18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, "Do what I say, and 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 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'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 But bring your youngest brother to me so that your words will be verified, and you won't die." To this they agreed.

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 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."

“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 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."

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

They didn't realize that Joseph understood what they were saying because they were talking to him through an interpreter.

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.

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 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.

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

The brothers loaded the grain onto their donkeys and then set off.

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.

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 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?"

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 Then they returned to their father Jacob to the land of Canaan, and told 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 country, spoke harshly to us, and he put us in custody as spies of the country.

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

“We told him, ‘We are honest men. We're 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, the sons of one father. One has passed away and the youngest is right now with our father in the country 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 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 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.'"

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 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 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 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."

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 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."

“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 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)

“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)