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 he sold the corn to the people. When Joseph’s brothers came to Joseph, his brethren bowed before him.

7Joseph saw his brethren and he knew that they were his brothers, Joseph pretended that he did not know them. Joseph looked angry when he talked to his brethren and asked them: Where do you come from? Joseph Brethren 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 then thought about the dream that he had had about them and he said to them: You are spies. You have come to see how you can attack our land.

10Joseph brethren 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 his brethren: No, you have come to see how you can attack our land.

13Joseph 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 them: 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 his brothers in prison for 3 days.

18On the 3rd day Joseph said to them: ‘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

21Joseph 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 to him. That is why we have these problems

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

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

24Joseph went out and cried. Then Joseph came back and talked to his brother. Then Joseph tied up Simeon in front of his brethren.

25Joseph told the servants to fill the bags with grain. Joseph 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 them what they would need for their trip back home.

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

27And at the lodging place, as one of Jospeh brothern opened his sack to feed his donkey, he saw his money in the opening of his sack.

28He said to his 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?

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

30Joseph brothen 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 him back to you.

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