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

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

2 A nd 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.”

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

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

And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

4 B ut 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

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

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

And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 J oseph 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.

And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

7 W hen 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.”

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

8 J oseph knew his brothers but they did not know him.

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

9 J oseph 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.”

And 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.

10 T hey said to him, “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food.

And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

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

We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

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

And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

13 B ut 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.”

And they said, Thy servants 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.

14 B ut Joseph said to them, “It is as I said. You are spies.

And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

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

Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

16 S end 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.”

Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye 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 ye are spies.

17 H e put them all together in prison for three days.

And he put them all together into ward three days.

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

And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

19 I f 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.

If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

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

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

21 T hey 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.”

And they said one to another, We are verily 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.

22 R euben 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.”

And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

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

And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

24 J oseph 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

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 T hen 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.

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 unto them.

26 T hen they loaded their donkeys with their grain, and left.

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

27 W hen 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.

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 H e 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?”

And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

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

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

30 “ 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.

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

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

And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

32 W e 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.’

We be 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 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.

And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:

34 B ut 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.’”

And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

35 W hen 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.

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 T heir 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!”

And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

37 T hen 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.”

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

38 B ut 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.”

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 ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.