Genesis 42

1People told Jacob that there was wheat in Egypt and Jacob asked his sons: Why are you sitting and just looking at each other?

2The people told me that there is wheat in Egypt. My sons, you must go there and buy wheat for us so that we can have food to eat and not die from hunger.

3Then 10 of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy corn.

4Jacob did not send Benjamin. (Benjamin was Joseph's only full brother.) Jacob was afraid that something bad might happen to Benjamin.

5So Israel's (also called Jacob) sons went with other people of Canaan to buy corn in Egypt, because there was a famine in the land of Canaan.

6Joseph was the ruler of the land of Egypt, and Joseph sold the corn to the people. When Joseph's brothers came to Joseph, the brothers bowed before Joseph.

7Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but Joseph pretended not to know the brothers. Joseph spoke harshly to the brothers and asked: Where do you come from? The brothers said: We come from Canaan. We have come to buy food.

8Joseph knew that they were his brothers, but they did not know that he was Joseph.

9Joseph remembered the dreams Joseph had dreamed about the brothers and said to the brothers: You are spies. You have come to see how you can attack our land.

10The brothers said to Joseph: No, we have come to buy food.

11We are all sons from one father. We are honest. We are not spies.

12But Joseph said to the brothers: No, you have come to see how you can attack our land.

13The brothers said: We were 12 brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is still with our father, and our other brother is dead.

14Joseph said to the brothers: It is like I told you. You are spies.

15Joseph said, I will test you and see if what you are saying is true. You will not leave here until your youngest brother also comes here, as sure as Pharaoh lives.

16One of you must go and get your brother, but the others will stay here in prison. Then I will find out if you are telling the truth or not. You are spies, as sure as Pharaoh lives.

17Joseph put all the brothers in prison for 3 days.

18On the 3rd day Joseph said to the brothers: I fear God. If you do what I say, I will not kill you.

19If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in prison. The other brothers can go and take wheat to your hungry people at home.

20Joseph said, You must then bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will believe you, and you will not die. The brothers said: Yes, we will do what you say.

21The brothers said to each other: We are guilty because we did something very bad to our brother. We saw that Joseph was afraid, and Joseph begged us to help him, but we did not listen. That is why we have these problems.

22Reuben said to his brothers: I told you not to do it to the child, but you did not want to listen. It is our fault that Joseph is dead.

23The brothers did not realize that Joseph understood everything that they said to each other, because when the brothers talked to Joseph, someone interpreted it for Joseph.

24Joseph went out and cried. Then Joseph came back and talked to the brothers. Then Joseph tied up Simeon in front of the brothers.

25Joseph told the servants to fill the bags with grain. The brothers had given money for the corn, but Joseph did not keep the money. Joseph had their money put into their bags of corn. Then Joseph gave the brothers what they would need for their trip back home.

26Joseph's brothers put the corn on their donkeys and they went back home.

27At the lodging place, as one of Joseph's brothers opened his sack to feed his donkey, the brother saw his money in the opening of his sack.

28The brother said to the other brothers: They have put my money back. Here it is in my bag. The brothers became afraid. They asked each other: What has God done to us?

29The brothers went back to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. The brothers told Jacob about everything that had happened.

30The brothers said: The man who is the ruler of the land was angry when he talked to us and he put us in prison. He said that we were spies in his land.

31We told him that we were honest, and we were not spies.

32We told him that we were 12 brothers, all sons of the same father, and that one brother was dead and the youngest brother was with our father in Canaan.

33The ruler of the land said to us: I will find out if you are honest. One of your brothers must stay here with me. Go back and take food for your hungry people at home.

34But you must bring your youngest brother to me, and then I will know that you are not spies but honest people. Then I will give your brother back and you may go to any place in our land.

35Jacob's sons opened their bags to take out the food, and each brother saw that his money bag with his money was in his bag. Then the brothers and their father all became afraid and they trembled.

36Their father Jacob said to them: You want to take away all of my children. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin from me. All these things are working against me

37Reuben said to his father Jacob: Father, you may kill my 2 sons if I do not bring Benjamin back to you. Father, trust me. I will bring Benjamin back to you.

38Jacob said: My son Benjamin will not go with you. Benjamin's brother is dead, and Benjamin is the only one left from that mother. If something bad happens to Benjamin on the way, I will be so sad that I will die, because I am an old man.