Gen 42 | AB | STEP | And Jacob, having seen that there was a sale of grain in Egypt, said to his sons, Why do look at one another?

‏ Genesis 42

1 And Jacob, having seen that there was a sale of grain in Egypt, said to his sons, Why do look at one another? 2 Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; now go down there, and buy for us a little food, that we may live, and not die! 3 And the ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain out of Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers; for he said, Lest some calamity befall him. 5 And the sons of Israel came to buy with those that journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Now Joseph was ruler over the land; and he sold to all the people of the land. And the brothers of Joseph, having come, bowed down to him, with their faces to the ground. 7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he knew them, and estranged himself from them, and spoke harsh words to them; and said to them, Where do you come from? And they said, Out of the land of Canaan, to buy food. 8 And Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him. 9 And Joseph remembered his dream, which he saw; and he said to them, You are spies! You have come to see the exposed parts of the land! 10 But they said, No, my lord, we your servants have come to buy food; 11 we are all sons of one man; we are peaceable; your servants are not spies. 12 And he said to them, No, but you have come to see the exposed parts of the land. 13 And they said, We your servants are twelve brothers, in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is with our father today, but the other one is not. 14 And Joseph said to them, This is it that I spoke to you, saying, you are spies. 15 In this manner shall you be tested; by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not depart from here, unless your younger brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and take your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, until your words may be tested, whether you speak the truth or not; but, if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies. 17 And he put them in prison three days. 18 And he said to them on the third day, Do this, and you shall live, for I fear God. 19 If you are peaceable, let one of your brothers be detained in prison; but go, and carry back the grain you have purchased. 20 And bring your younger brother to me, and your words shall be believed; but, if not, you shall die. And they did so. 21 And each said to his brother, Yes, indeed, for we are in fault concerning our brother, when we disregarded the anguish of his soul, when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear him; therefore has this affliction come upon us. 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not hurt the boy, and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us. 23 But they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them. 24 And Joseph turned away from them and wept; and again he came to them, and spoke to them; and he took Simeon from them, and bound him before their eyes. 25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with grain, and to return their money to each into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and it was so done to them. 26 And having put the grain on the donkeys, they departed from there. 27 And one, having opened his sack to give his donkeys fodder, at the place where they rested, saw also his bundle of money, for it was on the mouth of his sack. 28 And he said to his brothers, My money has been restored to me, and behold it is in my sack. And their hearts sank, and they were troubled, saying one to another, What is this that God has done to us? 29 And they came to their father Jacob, into the land of Canaan, and reported to him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 The man, the lord of the land, spoke harsh words to us, and put us in prison as spies of the land. 31 And we said to him, We are men of peace, we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is with his father today in the land of Canaan. 33 And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, By this shall I know that you are peaceable: leave one brother here with me, and having taken the grain you have purchased for your family, depart. 34 And bring to me your younger brother; then I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are men of peace; and I will restore you your brother, and you shall trade in the land. 35 And it came to pass as they were emptying their sacks, there was each man's bundle of money in his sack; and they and their father saw their bundles of money, and they were afraid. 36 And their father Jacob said to them, You have bereaved me. Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and will you take Benjamin, as well? All these things have come against me! 37 And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to you. 38 But he said, My son shall not go down with you, because his brother is dead, and only he has been left; and suppose it shall come to pass that he is afflicted by the way by which you go, then you shall bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades.