Genesis 42

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

1Now 1JacobH3290 sawH7200 that thereH3426 was grainH7668 in EgyptH4714, and JacobH3290 saidH559 to his sonsH1121, “WhyH4100 are you staringH7200 at one another?” 2He saidH559, “BeholdH2009, 2I have heardH8085 that thereH3426 is grainH7668 in EgyptH4714; goH3381 downH3381 thereH8033 and buyH7666 some for us 3from that placeH8033, 4so that we may liveH2421 and not dieH4191.” 3Then tenH6235 brothersH251 of JosephH3130 wentH3381 downH3381 to buyH7666 grainH1250 from EgyptH4714. 4But JacobH3290 did not sendH7971 Joseph’sH3130 brotherH251 5BenjaminH1144 with his brothersH251, for he saidH559, “6I am afraid that harmH611 may befallH7122 him.” 5So the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 cameH935 to buyH7666 grainH7666 amongH8432 those who were comingH935, 7for the famineH7458 was in the landH776 of CanaanH3667 also.

6Now 8JosephH3130 was the rulerH7989 overH5921 the landH776; he was the one who soldH7666 to allH3605 the peopleH5971 of the landH776. And Joseph’sH3130 brothersH251 cameH935 and 9bowedH7812 downH7812 to him with their facesH639 to the groundH776. 7When JosephH3130 sawH7200 his brothersH251 he recognizedH5234 them, but he disguisedH5235 himself to them and 10spokeH1696 to them harshlyH7186. And he saidH559 to them, “WhereH370 have you comeH935 from?” And they saidH559, “From the landH776 of CanaanH3667, to buyH7666 foodH400.”

8But JosephH3130 had recognizedH5234 his brothersH251, although 11they did not recognizeH5234 him. 9JosephH3130 12rememberedH2142 the dreamsH2472 whichH834 he 13hadH2492 about them, and saidH559 to them, “You are spiesH7270; you have comeH935 to lookH7200 at the 14undefendedH6172 partsH6172 of our landH776.” 10Then they saidH559 to him, “NoH3808, 15my lordH113, but your servantsH5650 have comeH935 to buyH7666 foodH400. 11We are allH3605 sonsH1121 of oneH259 manH376; we are 16honestH3653 menH3653, your servantsH5650 are not spiesH7270.” 12Yet he saidH559 to them, “NoH3808, but you have comeH935 to lookH7200 at the 17undefendedH6172 partsH6172 of our landH776!” 13But they saidH559, “Your servantsH5650 are twelveH8147H6240 brothersH251 in all, the sonsH1121 of oneH259 manH376 in the landH776 of CanaanH3667; and beholdH2009, the youngestH6996 is with 18our fatherH1 todayH3117, and 19oneH259 is noH369 longerH369 alive.” 14JosephH3130 saidH559 to them, “It is as I saidH1696 20to you, you are spiesH7270; 15by thisH2088 you will be testedH974: 21by the lifeH2416 of PharaohH6547, you shall not goH3318 from thisH2088 place unlessH3588H518 your youngestH6996 brotherH251 comesH935 hereH2008! 16SendH7971 oneH259 of you that he may getH3947 your brotherH251, while you remain confinedH631, that your wordsH1697 may be testedH974, whether there is 22truthH571 in you. But ifH518 not, by the lifeH2416 of PharaohH6547, surelyH3588 you are spiesH7270.” 17So he putH622 them allH622 togetherH622 in 23prisonH4929 for threeH7969 daysH3117.

18Now JosephH3130 saidH559 to them on the thirdH7992 dayH3117, “DoH6213 thisH2088 and liveH2421, for 24I fearH3372 GodH430: 19ifH518 you are honestH3653 menH3653, let oneH259 of your brothersH251 be confinedH631 in 25your prisonH1004H4929; but as for the rest of you, goH1980, carryH935 grainH7668 for the famineH7459 of your householdsH1004, 20and 26bringH935 your youngestH6996 brotherH251 to me, so your wordsH1697 may be verifiedH539, and you will not dieH4191.” And they didH6213 soH3651. 21Then they saidH559 to oneH376 anotherH251, “27TrulyH61 we are guiltyH818 concerningH5921 our brotherH251, becauseH834 we sawH7200 the distressH6869 of his soulH5315 when he pleadedH2603 with us, yet we would not listenH8085; thereforeH5921H3651 thisH2088 distressH6869 has comeH935 upon us.” 22ReubenH7205 answeredH6030 them, sayingH559, “28Did I not tellH559 29you, ‘Do not sinH2398 against the boyH3206’; and you would not listenH8085? 3031NowH1571H2009 comesH1875 the reckoningH1875 for his bloodH1818.” 23They did not knowH3045, however, that JosephH3130 understoodH8085, for there was an interpreterH3917 betweenH996 them. 24He turnedH5437 awayH5437 from them and 32weptH1058. But when he returnedH7725 to them and spokeH1696 to them, he 33tookH3947 SimeonH8095 from them and boundH631 him before their eyesH5869. 2534Then JosephH3130 gaveH6680 ordersH6680 to fillH4390 their bagsH3627 with grainH1250 and to restoreH7725 everyH376 man’sH376 moneyH3701 in his sackH8242, and to giveH5414 them provisionsH6720 for the journeyH1870. And thusH3651 it was doneH6213 for them.

26So they loadedH5375 their donkeysH2543 with their grainH7668 and departedH1980 from thereH8033. 27As oneH259 of them openedH6605 his sackH8242 to giveH5414 his donkeyH2543 fodderH4554 at the lodgingH4411 placeH4411, he sawH7200 his 35moneyH3701; and beholdH2009, it was in the mouthH6310 of his sackH572. 28Then he saidH559 to his brothersH251, “My moneyH3701 has been returnedH7725, and beholdH2009, it is evenH1571 in my sackH572.” And their heartsH3820 36sankH3318, and they turned 37tremblingH2729 to oneH376 anotherH251, sayingH559, “38WhatH4100 is thisH2088 that GodH430 has doneH6213 to us?”

Simeon Is Held Hostage

29When they cameH935 to their fatherH1 JacobH3290 in the landH776 of CanaanH3667, they toldH5046 him allH3605 that had happenedH7136 to them, sayingH559, 30“The manH376, the lordH113 of the landH776, 39spokeH1696 harshlyH7186 with us, and tookH5414 us for spiesH7270 of the countryH776. 31But we saidH559 to him, ‘We are 40honestH3653 menH3653; we are not spiesH7270. 32We are twelveH8147H6240 brothersH251, sonsH1121 of our fatherH1; oneH259 is noH369 longerH369 alive, and the youngestH6996 is with our fatherH1 todayH3117 in the landH776 of CanaanH3667.’ 33The manH376, the lordH113 of the landH776, saidH559 to us, ‘41By thisH2088 I will knowH3045 that you are honestH3653 menH3653: leaveH5117 oneH259 of your brothersH251 with me and takeH3947 grain for the famineH7459 of your householdsH1004, and goH1980. 34But bringH935 your youngestH6996 brotherH251 to me that I may knowH3045 that you are not spiesH7270, but 42honestH3653 menH3653. I will giveH5414 your brotherH251 to you, and you may 43tradeH5503 in the landH776.’”

35Now it cameH1961 about as they were emptyingH7385 their sacksH8242, that beholdH2009, 44everyH376 man’sH376 bundleH6872 of moneyH3701 was in his sackH8242; and when they and their fatherH1 sawH7200 their bundlesH6872 of moneyH3701, they were dismayedH3372. 36Their fatherH1 JacobH3290 saidH559 to them, “You have 45bereavedH7921 me of my childrenH7921: JosephH3130 is noH369 moreH369, and SimeonH8095 is noH369 moreH369, and you would takeH3947 BenjaminH1144; allH3605 these things are againstH5921 me.” 37Then ReubenH7205 spokeH559 to his fatherH1, sayingH559, “You may putH4191 my twoH8147 sonsH1121 to deathH4191 ifH518 I do not bringH935 him back to you; putH5414 him in my 46careH3027, and I will returnH7725 him to you.” 38But 47Jacob saidH559, “My sonH1121 shall not goH3381 downH3381 with you; for his 48brotherH251 is deadH4191, and he aloneH905 is leftH7604. 49If harmH611 should befallH7122 him on the journeyH1870 50you are takingH1980, then you will 51bringH3381 my grayH7872 hairH7872 downH3381 to SheolH7585 in sorrowH3015.”