Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at each other?

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

2Listen," he went on, "I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will 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 thought, "Something might happen to him."

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

5The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in 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.

6Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and 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.

7When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan to buy food," they replied.

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 to them, "You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land."

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"No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food," they said.

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

11"We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies."

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

12"No," he said to them. "You have come to see the weakness of the land."

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

13But they replied, "We, your servants, were twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no longer living."

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 said to them, "I have spoken: 'You are spies!'

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

15This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will 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 from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, 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 together for three days.

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

18On the third day Joseph said to them, "I fear God--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, let one of you be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take 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,

20Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won't die." And they consented to this.

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 each other, "Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to 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.”

22But Reuben replied: "Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn't 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.

24He 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.

25Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man's silver to his sack, and 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.

26They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.

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 there at the top of his bag.

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.

28He said to his brothers, "My silver has been returned! It's here in my bag." Their hearts sank. 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 told 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 the lord of the country 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 and not spies.

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

32We were twelve brothers, sons of the same father. One is no longer living, 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.’

33The man who is the lord of the country said to us, 'This is how I will know if 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.

34Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.'"

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! When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.

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, "It's me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to 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 can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you."

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 answered, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs 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.”

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

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.