Genesis 42
1 When Iacob sawe that there was corne to be solde in Egipte he sayde vnto his sones: why are ye negligent?
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 beholde I haue hearde that there is corne to be solde in Egipte. Gete you thither and bye vs corne fro thece that we maye lyue and not dye.
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 went Iosephs ten brethern doune to bye corne in Egipte
So Joseph’s ten [older] brothers went down to Egypt to buy some grain.
4 for Ben Iamin Iosephs brother wold not Iacob sende with his other brethren: for he sayde: some mysfortune myght happen him
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 And the sonnes of Israell came to bye corne amonge other that came for there was derth also in the lande 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 And Ioseph was gouerner in the londe and solde corne to all the people of the londe. And his brethren came and fell flatt on the grounde before him.
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 When Ioseph sawe his brethern he knewe them: But made straunge vnto them and spake rughly vnto them saynge: Whence come ye? and they sayde: out of the lande of Canaan to bye vitayle.
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 Ioseph knewe his brethern but they knewe not him.
Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
9 And Ioseph remembred his dreames which he dreamed of them and sayde vnto them: ye are spies and to se where the lande is weake is youre comynge.
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 sayde vnto him: nay my lorde: but to bye vitayle thy seruauntes are come.
One of them replied, “No, sir! We have come to buy grain.
11 We are all one mans sonnes and meane truely and thy seruauntes are no spies.
We are all sons of one man. We are honest men, not spies.”
12 And he sayde vnto them: nay verely but euen to se where the land is weake is youre comynge.
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 sayde: we thi seruauntes are. xij. brethern the sonnes of one man in the lande of Canaan. The yongest is yet with oure father and one no man woteth where he is.
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 Ioseph sayde vnto them that is it that I sayde vnto you that ye are surelye spies.
Joseph replied, “[You are lying! I think] it is just as I told you. You are spies!
15 Here by ye shall be proued. For by the lyfe of Pharao ye shall not goo hence vntyll youre yongest brother be come 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 Sende therfore one off you and lett him fett youre brother and ye shalbe in preason in the meane season. And thereby shall youre wordes be proued whether there be any trueth in you: or els by the lyfe of Pharao ye are but spies.
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 And he put them in warde thre dayes.
Then Joseph put them all in prison for three days.
18 And Ioseph sayde vnto the the thryd daye: This doo and lyue for I feare Gode
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 Yf ye meane no hurte let one of youre brethern be bounde in the preason and goo ye and brynge the necessarie foode vnto youre housholdes
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 brynge youre yongest brother vnto me: that youre wordes maye be beleved ad that ye dye 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 Than they sayde one to a nother: we haue verely synned agaynst oure brother in that we sawe the anguysh of his soull when he besought us and wold not heare him: therfore is this troubyll come apon us.
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 Ruben answered the saynge: sayde I not vnto you that ye shulde not synne agaynst the lad? but ye wolde not heare And now verely see his bloude is requyred.
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 They were not aware that Ioseph vnderstode them for he spake vnto them by an interpreter.
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 And he turned from them and wepte and than turned to them agayne ad comened with them and toke out Simeon from amonge the and bownde him 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 ad commaunded to fyll their saekes wyth corne and to put euery mans money in his sacke and to geue them vitayle to spende by the waye. And so it was done to them.
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 And they laded their asses with the corne and departed thence.
his older brothers loaded the sacks of grain on their donkeys and left.
27 And as one of them opened his sacke for to geue his asse prauender in the Inne he spied his money in his sacks mouth
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 And he sayde vnto his brethren: my money is restored me agayne and is eue in my sackes mouth Than their hartes fayled them and were astoynyed and sayde one to a nother: how cometh it that God dealeth thus with 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 And they came vnto Iacob their father vnto the lande of Canaan and tolde him all that had happened them saynge.
When they returned to their father in Canaan land, they told him all that had happened to them. One of them said,
30 The lorde of the lade spake rughly to us and toke us for spyes to serche the countte.
“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 sayde vnto him: we meane truely and are no spies.
But we told him, ‘We are honest men! We are not spies.
32 We be. xij. bretren sones of oure father one is awaye and the yongest is now with oure father in the lande 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 And the lorde of the countre sayde vnto us: here by shall I knowe yf ye meane truely: leaue one of youre brethern here with me and take foode necessary for youre housholdes and get you awaye
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 brynge youre yongest brother vnto me And thereby shall I knowe that ye are no spyes but meane truely: So will I delyuer you youre brother agayne and ye shall occupie in the lande.
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 as they emptied their sackes beholde: euery mans bundell of money was in his sacke And when both they and their father sawe the bundells of money they were afrayde.
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 Iacob their father sayde vnto them: Me haue ye robbed of my childern: Ioseph is away and Simeon is awaye and ye will take Ben Iamin awaye. All these thinges fall vpon me.
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 Ruben answered his father saynge: Slee my two sonnes yf I bringe him not to the agayne. Delyuer him therfore to my honde and I will brynge him to the agayne:
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 sayde: my sonne shall not go downe with you. For his brother is dead and he is left alone Moreouer some mysfortune myght happen vpon him by the waye which ye goo. And so shuld ye brynge my gray head with sorowe vnto the graue. (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)
