Genesis 42

1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, 'Why are you just standing there looking at each other?'

2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

2He continued, 'I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we can stay alive and not die.'

3And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt.

3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

4But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure harm befall him.

4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with the others because he was afraid that something bad might happen to him.

5And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

5The sons of Israel arrived to buy food along with many others, because the famine had reached the land of Canaan.

6And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth.

6Now Joseph was the governor of Egypt and the one in charge of selling grain to all the people. When Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

7As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he acted like a stranger and spoke harshly to them. 'Where do you come from?' he asked. They answered, 'From the land of Canaan, to buy food.'

8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

9And 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.

9Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them years before. He said to them, 'You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.'

10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

10'No, my lord,' they replied. 'Your servants have only come to buy food.'

11We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

11'We are all the sons of one man. We are honest men; your servants are not spies.'

12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

12But he insisted, 'No! You have come to see the weak spots of our land.'

13And they said, We 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.

13They said, 'Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is currently with our father, and one is no longer alive.'

14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

14Joseph said to them, 'It is just as I told you: You are spies!'

15hereby ye shall be proved: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

15'This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.'

16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

16'Send one of you to get your brother while the rest of you stay in prison. This will prove if you are telling the truth. If not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are definitely spies!'

17And he put them all together into ward three days.

17Then he put them all in prison together for three days.

18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

18On the third day, Joseph said to them, 'Do this and you will live, for I fear God.'

19if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses:

19'If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison while the rest of you go and take grain back to your starving families.'

20and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

20'Then you must bring your youngest brother to me. This will prove your words are true, and you will not die.' And they agreed to do this.

21And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

21They said to one another, 'Surely we are being punished because of what we did to our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come upon us.'

22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.

22Reuben answered them, 'Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we are being held accountable for his blood.'

23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

23They didn't realize that Joseph understood them, because he was using an interpreter to speak to them.

24And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spake to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

24Joseph turned away from them and wept. When he was able to speak to them again, he took Simeon from them and had him tied up right in front of their eyes.

25Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus was it done unto them.

25Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man’s money back into his sack, and to give them supplies for their journey. This was done for them.

26And they laded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.

26They loaded their grain onto their donkeys and left.

27And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

27When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his money right there at the top of the bag.

28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, What is this that God hath done unto us?

28'My money has been returned!' he shouted to his brothers. 'It’s right here in my sack!' Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling, saying, 'What has God done to us?'

29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,

29When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened.

30The man, the lord of the land, spake roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

30They said, 'The man who is the lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.'

31And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

31'But we told him, "We are honest men; we are not spies."'

32we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

32'"We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no longer alive, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan."'

33And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way;

33'Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, "This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take grain for your starving families, and go."'

34and 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 traffic in the land.

34'"But bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in this land."'

35And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

35As they were emptying their sacks, each man found his bag of money inside! When they and their father saw the money, they were terrified.

36And 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.

36Their father Jacob said to them, 'You have taken my children from me! Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!'

37And 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.

37Then Reuben said to his father, 'You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will bring him home.'

38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left: if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.

38But Jacob said, 'My son will not go down there with you. His brother is dead and he is the only one left. If any harm comes to him on the journey, you will send this gray-haired man to the grave in deep sorrow.'