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 having seen that there was a sale [of corn] in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are you indolent?

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.”

Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; go down there, and buy for us a little food, that we may live, and not die.

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

And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn 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 [Jacob] sent not Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, with his brethren; for he said, Lest, haply, disease befall him.

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

And the sons of Israel came to buy with those that came, for the famine was in the land of Chanaan.

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 was ruler of the land; he sold to all the people of the land. And the brethren of Joseph, having come, did reverence to him, [bowing] with the face to the ground.

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 when Joseph saw his brethren, he knew them, and estranged himself from them, and spoke hard words to them; and said to them, Whence are you come? And they said, Out of the land of Chanaan, to buy food.

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

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not 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 his dream, which he saw; and he said to them, You are spies; to observe the marks of the land are you come.

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

But they said, Nay, Sir, we your servants are 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 peaceful, your 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, Nay, but you are come to observe the marks of the land.

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, We your servants are twelve brethren, in the land of Chanaan; and, behold, the youngest is with our father today, but the other one is not.

14 Joseph said to them, “It is like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’

And Joseph said to them, This is it that I spoke to you, saying, you 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.

herein shall you be manifested; by the health of Pharao, you shall not depart hence, unless your younger brother come here.

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, and take your brother; and go you to prison, till your words be clear, whether you speak the truth or not; but, if not, by the health of Pharao, verily you are spies.

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

And he put them in prison three days.

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

And he said to them on the third day, This do, and you shall live, for 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 you be peaceful, let one of your brethren be detained in prison; but go you, and carry back the corn you have purchased.

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

And bring your younger brother to me, and your words shall be believed; but, if not, you shall 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.”

And each said to his brother, Yes, indeed, for we are in fault concerning our brother, when we disregarded the anguish of his soul, when he implored us, and we listened not to him; and therefore has this affliction 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 Ruben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Hurt not the boy, and you heard me not? and, behold, his blood is required.

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

But they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter 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 Joseph turned away from them, and wept; and again he came to them, and spoke to them; and he took Symeon from 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 return their money to each into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and it was so done to them.

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

And having put the corn on the asses, they 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 having opened his sack to give his asses fodder, at the place where they rested, saw also his bundle of money, for it was on 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 has been restored to me, and behold this is in my sack. And their heart was wonder-struck, and they were troubled, 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 to their father, Jacob, into the land of Chanaan, and reported to him all that had happened to 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 harsh words to us, and put us in prison 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 men of peace, 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 with his father today in the land of Chanaan.

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, Herein shall I know that you are peaceful; leave one brother here with me, and having taken the corn you have purchased for your family, depart.

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 to me your younger brother; then I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are men of peace: and I will restore you your brother, and you shall 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 were emptying their sacks, there was each man's bundle of money in his sack; and they and their father saw their bundles of money, and they 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 their father Jacob said to them, You have bereaved me. Joseph is not, Symeon is not, and will you take Benjamin? all these things have come upon 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 Ruben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to you; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to you.

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, because his brother is dead, and he only has been left; and [suppose] it shall come to pass that he is afflicted by the way by which you go, then you shall bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades. (Sheol h7585)