1 W hen Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”

And Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

2 A nd he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.”

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down thither and buy for us from thence, in order that we may live, and not die.

3 S o Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy out of Egypt.

4 B ut Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some calamity befall him.”

But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest mischief may befall him.

5 A nd the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

So the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 N ow Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.

And Joseph, he was the governor over the land—he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came and bowed down to him, the face to the earth.

7 J oseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

And Joseph saw his brethren, and knew them; but he made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them, and said to them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.

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

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they did not know him.

9 T hen Joseph remembered the dreams which he had 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 that he had dreamt of them; and he said to them, Ye are spies: to see the exposed places of the land ye are come.

10 A nd 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 thy servants come.

11 W e are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”

We are all one man's sons; we are honest: thy servants are not spies.

12 B ut 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 exposed places of the land are ye come.

13 A nd they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”

And they said, Thy servants were twelve brethren, sons of one man, in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

14 B ut Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’

And Joseph said to them, That is it that I have spoken to you, saying, Ye are spies.

15 I n this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

By this ye shall be put to the proof: as Pharaoh lives, ye shall not go forth hence, unless your youngest brother come hither!

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

Send one of you, that he may fetch your brother, but ye shall be imprisoned, and your words shall be put to the proof, whether the truth is in you; and if not, as Pharaoh lives, ye are spies.

17 S o he put them all together in prison three days.

And he put them in custody three days.

18 T hen 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, that ye may live: I fear God.

19 I f you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses.

If ye are honest, let one of your brethren remain bound in the house of your prison, but go ye, carry grain for the hunger of your households;

20 A nd bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so.

and bring your youngest brother to me, in order that your words be verified, and that ye may not die. And they did so.

21 T hen they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.”

Then they said one to another, We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he besought us, and we did not hearken; therefore this distress is come upon us.

22 A nd Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.”

And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the lad? But ye did not hearken; and now behold, his blood also is required.

23 B ut they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

And they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them.

24 A nd he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. The Brothers Return to Canaan

And he turned away from them, and wept. And he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

25 T hen Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them.

And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way. And thus did they to them.

26 S o they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there.

And they loaded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.

27 B ut as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack.

And one of them opened his sack to give his ass food in the inn, and saw his money, and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 S o he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”

And he said to his brethren, My money is returned, and behold, it is even in my sack. And their heart failed, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this God has done to us?

29 T hen they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying:

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

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

The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and treated us as spies of the land.

31 B ut we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

And we said to him, We are honest; we are not spies:

32 W e are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’

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

33 T hen the man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone.

And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, Hereby shall I know that ye are honest: leave one of your brethren with me, and take the hunger of your households, and go,

34 A nd bring your youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’”

and bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that ye are not spies, but are honest. Your brother will I give up to you; and ye may trade in the land.

35 T hen it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man had his bundle of money in his sack; and they saw their bundles of money, they and their father, and were afraid.

36 A nd Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.”

And Jacob their father said to them, Ye have bereaved me of children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin! All these things are against me.

37 T hen Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not back to thee: give him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

38 B ut he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”

But he said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left; and if mischief should befall him by the way in which ye go, then would ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.