Genesis 42

1. And when Jacob realized that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you stare at one another?”

2. And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy for us from there, so that we may live and not die.”

3. And Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

4. But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he said, “Lest perhaps mischief happen to him.”

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

6. And Joseph was the potentate over the land. He was the one selling to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

7. And Joseph saw his brothers, and he knew them, but remained a stranger to them, and spoke roughly to them. And he said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

8. And Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him.

9. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

10. And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

11. We are all one man’s sons. We are honest men; your servants are not spies.”

12. And he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

13. And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. And behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.”

14. And Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’

15. By this you shall be proved—as Pharaoh lives you shall not go forth from here unless your youngest brother comes here.

16. Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, and you shall be kept in prison so that your words may be proved, whether any truth is in you. Or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.”

17. And he put them together into custody three days.

18. And Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God.

19. If you are honest, let one of your brothers be bound in your prison house. You go carry grain for the famine of your houses.

20. But bring your youngest brother to me, and let your words be confirmed, be proved true, and you shall not die.” And they did so.

21. And they said one to another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he begged us, and we would not hear. Therefore, this distress has come upon us.”

22. And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you saying, ‘Do not sin against the youth?’ And you would not listen. Therefore, behold, his blood is required at our hands.”

23. And they did not know that Joseph could understand them, for the interpreter was used between them.

24. And he turned from them and wept. And he returned to them again and talked with them, and took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

25. Then Joseph commanded their sacks to be filled with grain, and returned their silver, each into his sack, and to give them provision for the way. And so he did to them.

26. And they loaded their donkeys with grain and departed from there.

27. Later, as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder in the inn, he saw his silver, for behold, it was in the mouth of the sack.

28. And he said to his brothers, “My silver has been put back—here, in my sack.” And their hearts sank, and they each were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this God has done to us?”

29. And they came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that happened to them, saying,

30. “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31. And we said to him, ‘We are honest, we are not spies.

32. We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’

33. And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest. Leave one, your brother, with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and go.

34. And bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest. And I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’ ”

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

36. And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you will take Benjamin? All these things are against me.”

37. And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to you again.”

38. And he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. And if mischief should happen to him by the way you go, then you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.”