Genesis 42

1 Now Jacob became aware that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

2 He said, “See here, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy for us from there so we may live and not die.”

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

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

And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him.

But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

5 The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

And the sons of Israel came to buy [corn] among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was the governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

And Joseph [was] the governor over the land, [and] he [it was] that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him [with] their faces to the earth.

7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke harshly with them. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

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

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye [are] spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

10 They said to him, “No, my master. Your servants have come to buy food.

And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

11 We are all one man's sons. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”

We [are] all one man’s sons; we [are] true [men], thy servants are no spies.

12 He said to them, “No, you have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”

And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

13 They said, “We your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. See, the youngest is this day with our father, and one brother is no longer alive.”

And they said, Thy servants [are] twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest [is] this day with our father, and one [is] not.

14 Joseph said to them, “It is what I said to you; you are spies.

And Joseph said unto them, That [is it] that I spake unto you, saying, Ye [are] spies:

15 By this you will be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave here, unless your youngest brother comes here.

Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

16 Send one of yourselves and let him get your brother. You will remain in prison, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you.”

Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether [there be any] truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye [are] spies.

17 He put them all in custody for three days.

And he put them all together into ward three days.

18 Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God.

And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; [for] I fear God:

19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in this prison, but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.

If ye [be] true [men], let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

20 Bring your youngest brother to me so your words will be verified and you will not die.” So they did so.

But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

21 They said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us and we would not listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”

And they said one to another, We [are] verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

22 Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy,' but you would not listen? Now, see, his blood is required of us.”

And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

And they knew not that Joseph understood [them; ] for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

24 He turned from them and wept. He returned to them and spoke to them. He took Simeon from among them and bound him before their eyes.

And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Joseph commanded his servants to fill his brothers' bags with grain, and to put every man's money back into his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. It was done for them.

Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

26 The brothers loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.

And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the opening of his sack.

And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it [was] in his sack’s mouth.

28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back. Look at it; it is in my sack.” Their hearts sank and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, [it is] even in my sack: and their heart failed [them], and they were afraid, saying one to another, What [is] this [that] God hath done unto us?

29 They went to Jacob, their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them. They said,

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us and thought that we were spies in the land.

The man, [who is] the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

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

And we said unto him, We [are] true [men; ] we are no spies:

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no longer alive, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.'

We [be] twelve brethren, sons of our father; one [is] not, and the youngest [is] this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33 The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for the famine in your houses, and go your way.

And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye [are] true [men; ] leave one of your brethren [here] with me, and take [food for] the famine of your households, and be gone:

34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. Then I will release your brother to you, and you will trade in the land.'”

And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye [are] no spies, but [that] ye [are] true [men: so] will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

35 It came about as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, 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 came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money [was] in his sack: and when [both] they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children. Joseph is no longer alive, Simeon is gone, and you will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”

And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved [of my children: ] Joseph [is] not, and Simeon [is] not, and ye will take Benjamin [away: ] all these things are against me.

37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring Benjamin back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him to you again.”

And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

38 Jacob said, “My son will not go down with you. For his brother is dead and he alone is left. If harm comes to him on the road in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.” (Sheol h7585)

And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)