< Genesis 42 >
1 Then saw Jacob that there was corn in Egypt, —and Jacob said to his sons, Wherefore look ye one at 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, Lo I have heard that there is corn in Egypt, —Go down thither and buy corn 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 So Joseph’s ten brethren went down, —to buy corn from the Egyptians;
And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn out of Egypt.
4 but, Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, —for he said, Lest there befall him any mischief.
But [Jacob] sent not Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, with his brethren; for he said, Lest, haply, disease befall him.
5 Thus came in the sons of Israel, to buy corn in the midst of them that came—for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
And the sons of Israel came to buy with those that came, for the famine was in the land of Chanaan.
6 Now, Joseph—he, it was, that was in power over the land, he, it was that was selling corn to all the people of the land, —so Joseph’s brethren came in, and bowed themselves 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 beheld his brethren and recognised them, —and made himself a stranger unto them and spake with them harsh things and said unto them—Whence have ye come in? 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 recognised his brethren, —whereas they, recognised him not.
And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed regarding them, —so he said unto them—Spies, are, ye! to see the nakedness of the land, have ye come in!
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, thy servants, are come to buy food.
But they said, Nay, Sir, we your servants are come to buy food;
11 All of us, are, sons of one man, —honest men, are we: thy servants are not, spies.
we are all sons of one man; we are peaceful, your servants are not spies.
12 And he said unto him, —Nay! but, the nakedness of the land, are ye come in to see.
And he said to them, Nay, but you are come to observe the marks of the land.
13 And they said: We, thy twelve servants, are, brethren, sons of one man in the and of Canaan, —and lo! the youngest: is with our father this day, and, the 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, —The very thing, that I spake unto you, saying—Spies, are, ye.
And Joseph said to them, This is it that I spoke to you, saying, you are spies;
15 Hereby, shall ye be proved, —By the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go forth from hence, save only by the coming in of your youngest brother hither.
herein shall you be manifested; by the health of Pharao, you shall not depart hence, unless your younger brother come here.
16 Send—from among you—one that he may fetch your brother, but be, ye, held as prisoners, that your words may be proved whether, truth, is with you, —and, if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely, spies, ye are.
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 So he drew them all together into ward, for three days.
And he put them in prison three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them on the third day, This, do and live, —God himself, do, I, revere.
And he said to them on the third day, This do, and you shall live, for I fear God.
19 If ye, are, honest men, one brother of you shall be kept as a prisoner in your house of ward, —but, ye, go, take in 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 your youngest brother, shall ye bring in unto me, that your words may be confirmed, and ye die not. 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 each man unto his brother—Verily guilty, we are, respecting our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul when he appealed unto us for favour and we hearkened not, —therefore, hath come in unto us this distress.
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 responded to them, saying—Spake I not unto you saying, Do not sin against the child! And ye hearkened not? His very blood, therefore lo! it 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 But, they, knew not that Joseph was hearkening, —for, the interpreter, was between them.
But they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24 So he turned away from them, and wept, —then came back unto them and spake unto them, and took away from them Simeon, and bound him prisoner 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 commanded Joseph that their bags should be filled with corn, and their silver be returned each man’s into his sack, and provision be given for the journey, —and it was done to them thus.
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 So they lifted up their corn on their asses, —and went their way, from thence.
And having put the corn on the asses, they departed thence.
27 And the first opened his sack to give fodder to his ass at the inn, —and beheld his silver, yea there, 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 So he said unto his brethren My silver hath been returned, yea verily, there it is in my sack! Then went forth their heart and they turned trembling—each man unto his brother saying. What is this that God hath done to 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 So they came in unto Jacob their father to 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 that is lord of the land spake unto us harsh things, —and then delivered us up. as spies of the land.
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 Honest men, are, we, —we are not spies!
And we said to him, We are men of peace, we are not spies.
32 Twelve brethren, are, we, sons of our father, —the 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 Then said the man the lord of the land unto us, Hereby, shall I get to know that honest men, ye are, —One brother of you, leave ye remaining with me, and corn for the famine of your houses, take ye 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 ye in your youngest brother unto me, So must I get to know that ye are, not spies, but are honest men: Your brother, will I give up to you, and with the land, shall ye traffic.
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 when, they, were emptying their, sacks then lo! each man’s bundle of silver, was in his sack, —and when they beheld their bundles of silver—they and their father, 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, —Joseph, is not, and, Simeon, is not, and Benjamin, ye would take! Against me, have happened all these things.
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 Then spake Reuben unto his father saying, My two sons, shalt thou put to death, if I bring him not unto thee, —Come give him up upon my hand, and I, will restore him unto 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 alone, is left, and as surely as there befall him any mischief by the way wherein ye go, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow unto hades. (Sheol )
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 )