Genesis 42

1Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you just look at each other?"

2He said, "Look, 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."

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

4Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he said, “Lest harm befall him.”

5Israel's sons came to buy among those arriving, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6Joseph ruled the land—he sold to all the people there. His brothers came and bowed down before him, faces to the ground.

7Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but pretended not to know them and spoke harshly with them. He said to them, "From where have you come?" They said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."

8Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

9Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them and said to them, "You are spies; you came to see the nakedness of the land."

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

11We are all sons of one man; we are honest; your servants were not spies.

12He said to them, "No, but you came to see the land's nakedness."

13They answered, "We are twelve brothers, your servants, sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and see, the youngest is with our father today, and one is not."

14Joseph said to them, "It is as I spoke to you, saying, 'You are spies.'"

15By this you will be tested. As Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

16Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, and you be bound, that your words may be tested whether truth is in you; if not, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.

17He brought them into custody for three days.

18Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and stay alive, for I fear God."

19If you are upright, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison house, but go and carry grain for the famine in your houses.

20Bring your youngest brother to me, so your words will be believed, and you will not die. And they did so.

21They said to one another, "Truly we stand guilty because of our brother, for we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us."

22Reuben answered them, "Didn't I warn you not to sin against the boy, yet you refused to listen? Therefore, see, his blood is required."

23They themselves did not know that Joseph was listening, because an interpreter was between them.

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

25Joseph commanded their bags filled with grain, each man's money returned to his sack, and provisions given them for the journey. So he did for them.

26They loaded their grain onto their donkeys and departed from there.

27When one of them opened his sack to give feed to his donkey at the inn, he saw his silver—behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28He said to his brothers, "My money has come back—even look, it's in my sack!" Their hearts failed, and they trembled, each to his brother, saying, "What is this God has done to us?"

29They came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him everything that had befallen them, saying,

30The man, the master of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as spies of the land.

31We answered him, "We are truthful; we are no spies."

32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is gone, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33The 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 supplies for the famine of your houses, and go."

34Bring your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies, but that you are upright. I will give your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.

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

36Jacob, their father, said to them, "You have bereaved me: Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and you will take Benjamin from me. All these things are against me."

37Reuben said to his father, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him to you. Put him into my hand, and I will return him to you."

38He said, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone remains. If calamity strikes him along the road you travel, then you will bring my old age with grief to Sheol."