1 ¶ Now when Jacob saw that there was food in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why are ye looking upon one another?

Now Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why are you looking at one another?”

2 A nd he said, Behold, I have heard that there is food in Egypt; go down there and buy for us from there that we may live, and not die.

And he said, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us, so we may live and not die.”

3 A nd Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy wheat in Egypt.

So ten of Joseph’s brothers went to buy grain in Egypt.

4 B ut Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure disaster befall him.

But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers. For he said, “I am afraid that something will happen to him.” Joseph’s Brothers Bow before Him

5 A nd the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

So the sons of Israel joined those who were coming to buy grain for there was no food in Canaan.

6 A nd Joseph was the lord over the land, and he it was that sold the wheat to all the people of the land; and Joseph’s brethren came and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

Joseph was the ruler of the land. He was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed to the ground in front of him.

7 ¶ And when Joseph saw his brethren, he knew them, but made himself strange unto them and spoke roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Where have you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

When Joseph saw his brothers, he knew who they were. But he acted like a stranger and spoke sharp words to them. He said, “Where have you come from?” They answered, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

8 A nd Joseph knew his brethren but they did not know him.

Joseph knew his brothers but they did not know him.

9 T hen Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

Joseph remembered the dreams he had had about them. He said to them, “You are spies. You have come to find the weak places in our land.”

10 A nd they said unto him, No, my lord, but to buy food are thy slaves come.

They said to him, “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food.

11 W e are all one man’s sons; we are men of the truth, thy slaves have never been spies.

We are all sons of one man. We do not lie. Your servants are not working against you in secret.”

12 A nd he said unto them, No, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

He said to them, “No! You have come to find the weak places in our land!”

13 A nd they said, Thy slaves are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father. And one is no more.”

14 A nd Joseph said unto them, That is it that which I spoke unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said. You are spies.

15 H ereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth from here unless your youngest brother comes here.

You will be put to a test. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

16 S end one of you and let him bring your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison that your words may be proved, whether there is any truth in you; or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

Send one of you to bring your brother, and the rest of you will be kept in prison. Your words will be put to a test to see if you are telling the truth. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies for sure.”

17 A nd he put them all together into prison for three days.

He put them all together in prison for three days.

18 A nd Joseph said unto them the third day, Do this and live, for I fear God.

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

19 I f ye are men of the truth, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison; go ye, carry food for the famine of your houses

If you are men who do not lie, let one of your brothers stay here in prison for all of you. But you others go and carry grain for your hungry families.

20 b ut bring your youngest brother unto me, so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

Then bring your youngest brother to me, so your words will be proven true. And you will live.” So they did what he said.

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

They said to one another, “For sure we are guilty for what we did to our brother. We saw the suffering of his soul while he begged us. But we would not listen. So this trouble has come to us.”

22 T hen Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak unto you, saying, Do not sin against the young man, and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, his blood is also required.

Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy?’ But you would not listen. Now we must pay for his blood.”

23 A nd they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke unto them by an interpreter.

They did not know that Joseph understood them. For there was a man between them to tell the meaning of each other’s language.

24 A nd he turned himself about from them and wept and returned to them again and spoke with them and took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

Joseph went away from them and cried. Then he returned to speak with them. And he took Simeon from them and put chains on him in front of his brothers. Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan

25 T hen Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with wheat and to restore each man’s money into his sack and to give them provisions for the way; and thus it was done unto them.

Then Joseph had their bags filled with grain. He had each man’s money returned to his bag, to buy what was needed as they traveled. So this was done for them.

26 A nd they laded their asses with the wheat and departed from there.

Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain, and left.

27 A nd as one of them opened his sack to give his ass fodder in the inn, he saw his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth.

When one of them opened his bag to give his donkey food at the place where they were staying the night, he saw his money. It was there at the top of his bag.

28 A nd he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; 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 unto us?

He said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It is inside my bag!” Then their hearts became full of fear. They turned to each other, shaking in fear, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

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

When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said,

30 T he man, who is the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us for spies of the country.

“The man who is ruler of the land spoke sharp words to us. He thought that we had gone there to find the weak places in the country.

31 A nd we said unto him, We are men of the truth; we have never been spies.

But we said to him, ‘We do not lie. We are not working against you in secret.

32 W e are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

We are twelve brothers, the sons of our father. One is no more. And the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’

33 A nd the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby I shall know that ye are men of the truth; leave one of your brethren here with me and take food for the famine of your households and go

Then the man who is ruler of the land said to us, ‘I will know that you are telling the truth by this test. Leave one of your brothers with me. Take grain for your hungry families and go.

34 a nd bring your youngest brother unto me; then I shall know that ye are not spies, but that ye are men of the truth; thus I will deliver you your brother, and ye shall trade in the land.

But bring your youngest brother to me, so I will know you are not spies, but honest men telling the truth. Then I will return your brother to you. And then you may trade in the land.’”

35 A nd it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

When they took the grain out of their bags, they found that every man’s money was in his bag. And when they and their father saw the money, they were afraid.

36 A nd Jacob, their father, said unto them, Ye have bereaved me of my sons: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; all these things are upon me.

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have taken my children from me! Joseph is no more. Simeon is no more. And now you would take Benjamin! All this has come upon me!”

37 A nd Reuben spoke unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I do not bring him to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

Then Reuben told his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not return him to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

38 A nd he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left; if some disaster should befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring my gray hairs with sorrow down to Sheol.

But Jacob said, “My son will not go with you. For his brother is dead, and only he is left. If something were to happen to him during your traveling, you would bring my white hair down to the grave in sorrow.”