Genesis 42

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

1Now 1Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2He said, “Behold, 2I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us 3from that place, 4so that we may live and not die.” 3Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother 5Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “6I am afraid that harm may befall him.” 5So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, 7for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

6Now 8Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and 9bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and 10spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

8But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although 11they did not recognize him. 9Joseph 12remembered the dreams which he 13had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the 14undefended parts of our land.” 10Then they said to him, “No, 15my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11We are all sons of one man; we are 16honest men, your servants are not spies.” 12Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the 17undefended parts of our land!” 13But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with 18our father today, and 19one is no longer alive.” 14Joseph said to them, “It is as I said 20to you, you are spies; 15by this you will be tested: 21by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is 22truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17So he put them all together in 23prison for three days.

18Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for 24I fear God: 19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in 25your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, 20and 26bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so. 21Then they said to one another, “27Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.” 22Reuben answered them, saying, “28Did I not tell 29you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? 3031Now comes the reckoning for his blood.” 23They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24He turned away from them and 32wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he 33took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 2534Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

26So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. 27As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his 35money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28Then he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts 36sank, and they turned 37trembling to one another, saying, “38What is this that God has done to us?”

Simeon Is Held Hostage

29When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30“The man, the lord of the land, 39spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 31But we said to him, ‘We are 40honest men; we are not spies. 32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’ 33The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘41By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go. 34But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but 42honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may 43trade in the land.’”

35Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, 44every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed. 36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have 45bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.” 37Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my 46care, and I will return him to you.” 38But 47Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his 48brother is dead, and he alone is left. 49If harm should befall him on the journey 50you are taking, then you will 51bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”