Chapter 42

Now when Jacob saw⁴ that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said⁴ unto his sons, Why do ye look¹⁰¹ one upon another?

And he said,⁴ Behold, I have heard¹ that there is corn in Egypt: get you down³ thither, and buy³ for us from thence; that we may live,⁴ and not die.⁴

And Joseph's ten brethren went down⁴ to buy² corn in Egypt.

But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent¹ not with his brethren; for he said,¹ Lest peradventure mischief befall⁴ him.

And the sons of Israel came⁴ to buy² [corn] among those that came:⁶ for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

And Joseph [was] the governor over the land, [and] he [it was] that sold⁵⁶ to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came,⁴ and bowed down¹⁰¹ themselves before him [with] their faces to the earth.

And Joseph saw⁴ his brethren, and he knew⁵⁵ them, but made himself strange¹⁰¹ unto them, and spake¹⁷ roughly unto them; and he said⁴ unto them, Whence come¹ ye? And they said,⁴ From the land of Canaan to buy² food.

And Joseph knew⁵⁵ his brethren, but they knew⁵² not him.

And Joseph remembered⁴ the dreams which he dreamed¹ of them, and said⁴ unto them, Ye [are] spies;¹⁸ to see² the nakedness of the land ye are come.¹

And they said⁴ unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy² food are thy servants come.¹

We [are] all one man's sons; we [are] true [men], thy servants are no spies.¹⁸

And he said⁴ unto them, Nay, but to see² the nakedness of the land ye are come.¹

And they said,⁴ Thy servants [are] twelve ⁶²⁴⁰ 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.

And Joseph said⁴ unto them, That [is it] that I spake¹⁴ unto you, saying,² Ye [are] spies:¹⁸

Hereby ye shall be proved:¹¹ By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth⁴ hence, except your youngest brother come² hither.

Send³ one of you, and let him fetch⁴ your brother, and ye shall be kept¹⁰ in prison, that your words may be proved,¹¹ whether [there be any] truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye [are] spies.¹⁸

And he put them all together⁴ into ward three days.

And Joseph said⁴ unto them the third day, This do,³ and live;³ [for] I fear God:

If ye [be] true [men], let one of your brethren be bound¹¹ in the house of your prison: go³ ye, carry⁵⁴ corn for the famine of your houses:

But bring⁵⁵ your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified,¹¹ and ye shall not die.⁴ And they did⁴ so.

And they said⁴ one to another, We [are] verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw¹ the anguish of his soul, when he besought⁹⁹ us, and we would not hear;¹ therefore is this distress come¹ upon us.

And Reuben answered⁴ them, saying,² Spake¹ I not unto you, saying,² Do not sin⁴ against the child; and ye would not hear?¹ therefore, behold, also his blood is required.⁸

And they knew¹ not that Joseph understood⁶ [them]; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.⁵⁶

And he turned himself about¹¹ from them, and wept;⁴ and returned⁴ to them again, and communed¹⁷ with them, and took⁴ from them Simeon, and bound⁴ him before their eyes.

Then Joseph commanded¹⁷ to fill¹⁷ their sacks with corn, and to restore⁵³ every man's money into his sack, and to give² them provision for the way: and thus did⁴ he unto them.

And they laded⁴ their asses with the corn, and departed⁴ thence.

And as one of them opened⁴ his sack to give² his ass provender in the inn, he espied⁴ his money; for, behold, it [was] in his sack's mouth.

And he said⁴ unto his brethren, My money is restored;⁹⁰ and, lo, [it is] even in my sack: and their heart failed⁴ [them], and they were afraid,⁴ saying² one to another, What [is] this [that] God hath done¹ unto us?

And they came⁴ unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told⁵⁵ him all that befell⁶ unto them; saying,²

The man, [who is] the lord of the land, spake¹⁴ roughly to us, and took⁴ us for spies¹⁸ of the country.

And we said⁴ unto him, We [are] true [men]; we are no spies:¹⁸

We [be] twelve ⁸¹⁴⁷ brethren, sons of our father; one [is] not, and the youngest [is] this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

And the man, the lord of the country, said⁴ unto us, Hereby shall I know⁴ that ye [are] true [men]; leave⁵⁴ one of your brethren [here] with me, and take³ [food for] the famine of your households, and be gone:³

And bring⁵⁴ your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know⁴ that ye [are] no spies,¹⁸ but [that] ye [are] true [men: so] will I deliver⁴ you your brother, and ye shall traffick⁴ in the land.

And it came to pass as they emptied⁵⁶ their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money [was] in his sack: and when [both] they and their father saw⁴ the bundles of money, they were afraid.⁴

And Jacob their father said⁴ unto them, Me have ye bereaved¹⁴ [of my children]: Joseph [is] not, and Simeon [is] not, and ye will take⁴ Benjamin [away]: all these things are against me.

And Reuben spake⁴ unto his father, saying,² Slay⁵⁵ my two sons, if I bring⁵⁵ him not to thee: deliver³ him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.⁵⁵

And he said,⁴ My son shall not go down⁴ with you; for his brother is dead,¹ and he is left⁸ alone: if mischief befall¹ him by the way in the which ye go,⁴ then shall ye bring down⁵² my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.