| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" | 1When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you looking at each other?" |
| 2He continued, "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." | 2He then said, "Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us so that we may live and not die." |
| 3Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. | 3So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. |
| 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. | 4But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "What if some accident happens to him?" |
| 5So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also. | 5So Israel's sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan. |
| 6Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. | 6Now Joseph was the ruler of the country, the one who sold grain to all the people of the country. Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. |
| 7As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food." | 7When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger to them and spoke to them harshly. He asked, "Where do you come from?" They answered, "From the land of Canaan, to buy grain for food." |
| 8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. | 8Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. |
| 9Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected." | 9Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, "You are spies; you have come to see if our land is vulnerable!" |
| 10"No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food. | 10But they exclaimed, "No, my lord! Your servants have come to buy grain for food! |
| 11We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies." | 11We are all the sons of one man; we are honest men! Your servants are not spies." |
| 12"No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected." | 12"No," he insisted, "but you have come to see if our land is vulnerable." |
| 13But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more." | 13They replied, "Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, and one is no longer alive." |
| 14Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! | 14But Joseph told them, "It is just as I said to you: You are spies! |
| 15And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. | 15You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. |
| 16Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" | 16One of you must go and get your brother, while the rest of you remain in prison. In this way your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" |
| 17And he put them all in custody for three days. | 17He imprisoned them all for three days. |
| 18On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: | 18On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do as I say and you will live, for I fear God. |
| 19If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. | 19If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison while the rest of you go and take grain back for your hungry families. |
| 20But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die." This they proceeded to do. | 20But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then your words will be verified and you will not die." They did as he said. |
| 21They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come on us." | 21They said to one other, "Surely we're being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!" |
| 22Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood." | 22Reuben said to them, "Didn't I say to you, 'Don't sin against the boy,' but you wouldn't listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!" |
| 23They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. | 23(Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, for he was speaking through an interpreter.) |
| 24He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. | 24He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again, he had Simeon taken from them and tied up before their eyes. |
| 25Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, | 25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man's money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out. |
| 26they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. | 26So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. |
| 27At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. | 27When one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. |
| 28"My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?" | 28He said to his brothers, "My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!" They were dismayed; they turned trembling one to another and said, "What in the world has God done to us?" |
| 29When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, | 29They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying, |
| 30"The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. | 30"The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as if we were spying on the land. |
| 31But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. | 31But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies! |
| 32We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.' | 32We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. One is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father at this time in the land of Canaan.' |
| 33"Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, 'This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. | 33"Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for your hungry households and go. |
| 34But bring your youngest brother 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.'" | 34But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are honest men and not spies. Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.'" |
| 35As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. | 35When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man's bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid. |
| 36Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!" | 36Their father Jacob said to them, "You are making me childless! Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. And now you want to take Benjamin! Everything is against me." |
| 37Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back." | 37Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care and I will bring him back to you." |
| 38But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow." | 38But Jacob replied, "My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair in sorrow to the grave." |
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