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?”

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, Why do you look one on 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 corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from there; that we may live, and not die.

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

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

4 But Jacob did not 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 brothers; 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 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 the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

7 Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized 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 brothers, and he knew them, but made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them; and he said to them, From where come you? 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 brothers, but they knew not him.

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

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said to them, You are spies; to see the nakedness of the land you 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 your 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, your servants are no 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 nakedness of the land you are 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, Your servants are twelve brothers, 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 like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’

And Joseph said to them, That 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.

Hereby you shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh you shall not go forth hence, except your youngest 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 let him fetch your brother, and you 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 you are spies.

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

And he put them all together into ward 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, and 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 true men, let one of your brothers be bound in the house of your prison: go you, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

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

But bring your youngest brother to me; so shall your words be verified, and you shall 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 would not listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”

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

22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Did not I tell you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the child,’ and you would not listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”

And Reuben answered them, saying, Spoke I not to you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and you 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 spoke to them by an interpreter.

24 He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and 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 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.

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 to them.

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

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

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 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 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 brothers, My money is restored; and, see, 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 to Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell 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, who is the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

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

And we said to him, We are true men; we are no 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 be twelve brothers, 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 country, said to us, Hereby shall I know that you are true men; leave one of your brothers 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. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”

And bring your youngest brother to me: then shall I know that you are no spies, but that you are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and you shall traffic 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’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 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, Me have you bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and you will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I do not 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 to you: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to you 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 gray hairs 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 you go, then shall you bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)