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

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one 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.”

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

Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from 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 Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”

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

The sons of Israel came to buy among those who 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.

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 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.”

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

Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize 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.”

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

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

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 honest men. Your servants are not spies.”

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

He said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”

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.”

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

Joseph said to them, “It is like I told you, saying, ‘You 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.

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

He put them all together into custody for three days.

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

Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, 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 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 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.

Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die.” 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.”

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 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.”

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 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.

They didn’t know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

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

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

They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.

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.

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 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?”

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

They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to 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, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with 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.

We said to him, ‘We are honest 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 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 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.

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 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.’”

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 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.

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 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!”

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 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.”

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 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.”

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.”