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?”

And when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look at one 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 provision from there, that we may live, and not die.

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

And ten brothers of Joseph 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 brothers; for he said, Lest 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—he was the governor over the land, it was he that sold corn to all the people of the land; and Joseph's brothers came, and bowed themselves down before him with the face 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 brothers, and he recognized them; but made himself strange unto them and spoke 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 recognized his brothers, but they recognized 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 had dreamed concerning them, and he said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land are ye come.

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

And they said unto him, No, my lord, thy servants are only come to buy food.

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

We are all sons of one man; we are true men; thy servants have never been spies.

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

And he said unto them, No! but to see the nakedness of the land are ye 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, We, thy servants, are twelve brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.

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

And Joseph said unto them, It is as I have spoken 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 shall ye 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 the truth be with you; and if not, by the life of Pharaoh, ye are surely spies.

17 He put them all in custody for three days.

And he put them 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 on the third day, This do, and live; 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 brothers remain imprisoned in the house of your confinement; but ye, go, carry home what you have bought for the want of your household.

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

But your youngest brother bring 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 to one another, Truly we are 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, Did I not say unto you, thus, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? and behold, his blood also is now 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 spoke 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 away from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and spoke 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.

And 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 he did unto them thus.

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

And they loaded their asses with their 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 one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn: when he espied his money, for, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

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 brothers, My money hath been 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 they told him all that had befallen 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, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us as though we were espying 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 have never been 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 are twelve brothers, sons of our father; the one is no more, 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 brothers here with me, and [the food for] the want of your households take ye 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; your brother I will give up to you, and in the land ye shall be allowed to traffic.

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 were emptying their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when they saw the bundles of their money, they and their father, 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 ye have bereaved of my children: Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and Benjamin ye will take 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 said unto his father, thus, Two of my sons shalt thou slay, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.

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 alone is left: and if mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)