42
1 Now
Jacob saw that
there was grain
in Egypt, and
Jacob said to his
sons, “Why do
you look at
one 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.”
3 Joseph’s
ten brothers went
down to buy
grain from Egypt.
4 But
Jacob didn’t send
Benjamin, Joseph’s brother,
with his brothers;
for he said, “Lest
perhaps harm
happen to him.”
5 The
sons of Israel
came to buy
among those who
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.
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.”
8 Joseph
recognized his brothers,
but they didn’t
recognize 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.”
10 They said
to him, “No,
my lord, but your
servants have come
to buy food.
11 We
are all one
man’s sons; we
are honest men.
Your servants are
not spies.”
12 He said
to them, “No,
but you have come
to see the
nakedness 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.”
14 Joseph
said to them, “It
is like I told 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.
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.”
17 He put
them all together into
custody for three
days.
18 Joseph said
to them the
third day, “Do
this, 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.
20 Bring
your youngest brother
to me; so
will your words
be verified, and
you won’t die.”
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.”
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.”
23 They didn’t
know 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 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.
26 They
loaded their
donkeys with their
grain, and
departed from
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.
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?”
29 They came
to Jacob
their father, to
the land of Canaan,
and told 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.
31 We said
to him, ‘We
are honest 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.’
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.
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.’ ”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”