Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
1 WhenJacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we maylive and not die.”
3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in 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 went to buygrainamong those who journeyed, for the famine wasin the land of Canaan.
6 Now Josephwasgovernorover the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came andbowed down before him withtheirfaces to the earth.
7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted asa stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?”
And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”
8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
9 Then Josephremembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “Youarespies! 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 Weareall one man’s sons; wearehonestmen;your servants are not spies.”
12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
13 And they said, “Your servantsaretwelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngestiswith our father today, and oneisno more.”
14 But Joseph said to them, “Itisas I spoke to you, saying, ‘Youarespies!’
15 In thismanneryou shall be tested:By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whetherthereisany truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely youarespies!”
17 So he put them all together in prisonthree days.
18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live,forI fear God:
19 If youarehonestmen,let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses.
20 And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.”
And they did so.
21 Then they said to one another,“Wearetruly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with 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 boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is nowrequired of us.”
23 But they did not know that Joseph understoodthem,for he spoke to them through an interpreter.
24 And he turned himself away from them andwept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he tookSimeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
The Brothers Return to Canaan
25 Then Josephgave a command to fill their sacks with grain, torestore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey.Thus he did for them.
26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there.
27 But asoneofthemopened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack.
28 So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts failedthemand they were afraid, saying to one another, “WhatisthisthatGod has done to us?”
29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying:
30 “The manwhoislord of the landspoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 But we said to him, ‘Wearehonestmen;we are not spies.
32 Wearetwelve brothers, sons of our father; oneisnomore,and the youngestiswith our father this day in the land of Canaan.’
33 Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us,‘By this I will know that youarehonestmen:Leave one of your brothersherewith me, takefoodforthe famine of your households, and be gone.
34 And bring youryoungest brother to me; so I shall know that youarenot spies, butthatyouarehonestmen.I will grant your brother to you, and you maytrade in the land.’ ”
35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisinglyeach man’s bundle of moneywasin his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You havebereaved me: Joseph is nomore,Simeon is nomore,and you want to takeBenjamin. All these things are against me.”
37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring himbackto you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”
38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, forhis brother is dead, and he is left alone.If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you wouldbring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”