Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

1When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”

2“Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

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

3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

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

4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”

4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him.

5So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.

5Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

6Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.

7And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”

7Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

8And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

9Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

9And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

10“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.

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

11We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”

11We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”

12“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

12He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.”

13But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

13And they said, “We, 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.”

14Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!

14But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies.

15And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

15By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

16Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”

16Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”

17So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,

17And he put them all together in custody for three days.

18and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:

18On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:

19If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.

19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households,

20Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.

20and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so.

21Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

21Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

22And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

22And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.”

23They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

23They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

24And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.

24Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,

25And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.

26and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.

26Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed.

27At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.

27And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack.

28“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

28He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

29When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:

29When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying,

30“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

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

31But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

31But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies.

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

32We 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.’

33Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.

33Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way.

34But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’ ”

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

35As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.

35As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”

36And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.”

37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

37Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

38But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

38But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.