Genesis 42
1 Then saw Jacob that there was corn in Egypt, —and Jacob said to his sons, Wherefore look ye one at another?
When someone told Jacob that there was grain in Egypt that people could buy, he said to his sons, “(Why do you just sit there looking at each other?/Do not just sit there looking at each other!) [RHQ] We need some grain!”
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.
He said to them, “Someone told me that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, in order that we will not die!”
3 So Joseph’s ten brethren went down, —to buy corn from the Egyptians;
So Joseph’s ten [older] brothers went down to Egypt to buy some grain.
4 but, Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, —for he said, Lest there befall him any mischief.
But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s [younger] brother, to go with the others, because he was afraid/worried that something terrible might happen to him like what happened to Joseph.
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.
So Jacob’s other sons went down from Canaan to Egypt to buy grain, and others from there went too, because there was a famine in Canaan also.
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.
At that time Joseph was the governor of Egypt. He was the one who sold grain to people who came from all over Egypt and from many other countries [HYP] to buy grain. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, [they were told that it was necessary for them to talk with Joseph. So they went to him and] prostrated themselves before him with their faces 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.
As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them. But he pretended that he did not know them. He spoke harshly to them, saying, “Where do you come from?” One of them replied, “We have come from Canaan, to buy some grain.”
8 And Joseph recognised his brethren, —whereas they, recognised him not.
Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize 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 then Joseph remembered what he had dreamed about them many years previously. [But he decided not to tell them yet that he was their younger brother]. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to find out whether we will be able to defend ourselves [if you attack us]!”
10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, —but, thy servants, are come to buy food.
One of them replied, “No, sir! We have come to buy grain.
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 honest men, not spies.”
12 And he said unto him, —Nay! but, the nakedness of the land, are ye come in to see.
He said to them, “[I do not believe you]. You have come just to see whether we would be able to defend ourselves if we were attacked!”
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!
But one of them replied, “No, that is not true! Originally there were twelve of us who were brothers, the sons of one man. Our younger brother is with our father. One [younger] brother has died. [EUP]”
14 And Joseph said unto them, —The very thing, that I spake unto you, saying—Spies, are, ye.
Joseph replied, “[You are lying! I think] it is just as I told you. 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.
But this is how I will determine whether what you are saying is true. I think that as surely as the king lives, you are spies. And you will not leave this place until your youngest brother comes 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 your group to go and get your younger brother and bring him here. I will put the rest of you in prison, in order that I may test what you have said to find out whether what you are telling me is true. If the one who goes does not bring your younger brother here, then, just as surely as the king lives, it will be clear that you are lying and that you are spies.”
17 So he drew them all together into ward, for three days.
Then Joseph put them all in prison for three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them on the third day, This, do and live, —God himself, do, I, revere.
On the third day, Joseph went to the prison and said to them, “I am a man who fears that God [will punish me if I do not do what I promise]. So do what I tell you, and I will spare your lives.
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 are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, and the rest of you can take some grain back to your families who are very hungry because of the famine.
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.
But if you come back here again, you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that you can prove that what you told me is true, and as a result I will not have you executed.” So they agreed to do that.
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.
They said to each other, “It is surely because of what we did to our [younger] brother that (we are being punished/God is punishing us)! We saw that he [SYN] was very distressed when he pleaded with us not to harm him. But we did not pay any attention to him, and that is why we are having this trouble!”
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.
Reuben said to them, “I told you not to harm the boy [RHQ], but you did not pay attention to what I said! Now we are being (paid back/punished) for killing him [MTY]!”
23 But, they, knew not that Joseph was hearkening, —for, the interpreter, was between them.
While they were talking with Joseph, they were speaking through (an interpreter/someone who knew their language and the Egyptian language), but when they said these things among themselves, they were speaking in their own language, and they did not know that Joseph could understand their language, and that he could understand what they were saying.
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.
[Because of what they said, Joseph realized that they admitted that what they had done to him many years previously was wrong]. He could not keep from crying, [and he did not want them to see him crying], so he left them and went outside the room and began to cry. But then he returned to them and talked to them again. Then he took Simeon, and while they were watching, he told his servants to tie him up. He left Simeon in the prison and told the others that they could go.
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.
Joseph told his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, but he also told them to put the money that each one had paid for the grain in the top of his sack. He also told them to give them food to eat along the way. After the servants did those things for Joseph’s older brothers,
26 So they lifted up their corn on their asses, —and went their way, from thence.
his older brothers loaded the sacks of grain on their donkeys and left.
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!
At the place where they stopped to sleep that night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey. He was amazed to see his money in the top of the 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?
He exclaimed to his brothers, “Someone has returned my money! Here it is in my sack!” They started shaking with fear, and said to each other, “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:
When they returned to their father in Canaan land, they told him all that had happened to them. One of them said,
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 who governs the whole land of Egypt talked very harshly to us. He acted toward us as though we were spying on his country.
31 And we said unto him Honest men, are, we, —we are not spies!
But we told him, ‘We are honest men! 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.
Originally there were twelve of us who were brothers, the sons of one father. One has died [EUP], and our youngest brother is with our father in Canaan.’
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;
The man who is the governor of the land [did not believe us], so he said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are truly honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me. Then the rest of you can take some grain for your families that are starving from hunger and go.
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.
But when you return, bring your youngest brother to me, in order that I will know that you are not spies, but instead, that you are honest men. Then I will release your brother for you. And then you can buy whatever you want in this country.’”
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,
As they were emptying their sacks, they were surprised that in each man’s sack was his pouch of money! When they and their father saw all the pouches of money, they were frightened.
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.
Their father Jacob said to them, “You have caused two of my children to be taken from me! Joseph is dead, and Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin from me! It is I who am suffering because of all these things that are happening!”
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.
Reuben said to his father, “I will be responsible for Benjamin. [I will take him to Egypt and] bring him back to you. Let me take care of him. If I do not bring Benjamin back to you, you may kill both of my sons.”
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 h7585)
But Jacob said, “No, I will not let my son go down there with you. His [older] brother is dead, and he is the only [one of my wife Rachel’s] sons who is left! If something harms him while you are traveling, you would cause me, a gray-haired old man, to die because of sorrow.” (Sheol h7585)
