Genesis 42

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

And Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

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

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down thither and buy [grain] for us from thence, in order 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 [grain] out of Egypt.

4 But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”

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

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

So the sons of Israel came to buy [grain] among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.

And Joseph, he was the governor over the land — he it was that sold [the corn] to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came and bowed down to him, the face to the earth.

7 Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognised them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

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

8 Joseph recognised his brothers, but they didn’t recognise him.

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

9 Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamt about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamt of them; and he said to them, Ye are spies: to see the exposed places of the land ye are come.

10 They said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

And they said to him, No, 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 honest: thy servants are not spies.

12 He said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”

And he said to them, No; but to see the exposed places 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; and behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more.”

And they said, Thy servants were twelve brethren, 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 like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’

And Joseph said to them, That is it that I have spoken to you, saying, Ye are spies.

15 By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, unless your youngest brother comes here.

By this ye shall be put to the proof: as Pharaoh lives, ye shall not go forth hence, unless your youngest brother come hither!

16 Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.”

Send one of you, that he may fetch your brother, but ye shall be imprisoned, and your words shall be put to the proof, whether the truth is in you; and if not, as Pharaoh lives, ye are spies.

17 He put them all together into custody for three days.

And he put them in custody three days.

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

And Joseph said to them the third day, This do, that ye may live: I fear God.

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

If ye are honest, let one of your brethren remain bound in the house of your prison, but go ye, carry grain for the hunger of your households;

20 Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die.” They did so.

and bring your youngest brother to me, in order that your words be verified, and that ye may not die. And they did so.

21 They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”

Then they said one to another, We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he besought us, and we did not hearken; therefore this distress is come upon us.

22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”

And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the lad? But ye did not hearken; and now behold, his blood also is required.

23 They didn’t know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

And they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them.

24 He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from amongst them, and bound him before their eyes.

And he turned away from them, and wept. And he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them.

And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way. And thus did they to them.

26 They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.

And they loaded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.

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

And one of them opened his sack to give his ass food in the inn, and saw his money, and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 He said to his brothers, “My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!” Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

And he said to his brethren, My money is returned [to me], and behold, it is even in my sack. And their heart failed [them], and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this [that] God has done to us?

29 They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,

And they came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,

30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and treated us as spies of the land.

31 We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no spies.

And we said to him, We are honest; we are not spies:

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.’

we are 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, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way.

And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, Hereby shall I know that ye are honest: leave one of your brethren with me, and take [for] the hunger of your households, and go,

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

and bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that ye are not spies, but are honest. Your brother will I give up to you; and ye may trade in the land.

35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, each man’s bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man had his bundle of money in his sack; and they saw their bundles of money, they and their father, and were afraid.

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

And Jacob their father said to them, Ye have bereaved me of children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin! All these things are against me.

37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”

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

38 He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.” (Sheol h7585)

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