Genesis 42:1-13 ▼

1 When Jacob found out that grain was for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, |Why do you keep looking at each other?

2 I've heard there's grain for sale in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us so that we won't starve to death.|

3 Ten of Joseph's brothers went to buy grain in Egypt.

4 Jacob wouldn't send Joseph's brother Benjamin with the other brothers, because he was afraid that something would happen to him.

5 Israel's sons left with the others who were going to buy grain, because there was also famine in Canaan.

6 As governor of the country, Joseph was selling grain to everyone. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed in front of him with their faces touching the ground.

7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them. But he acted as if he didn't know them and spoke harshly to them. |Where did you come from?| he asked them. |From Canaan, to buy food,| they answered.

8 Even though Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him.

9 Then he remembered the dreams he once had about them. |You're spies!| he said to them, |And you've come to find out where our country is unprotected.|

10 |No, sir!| they answered him. |We've come to buy food.

11 We're all sons of one man. We're honest men, not spies.|

12 He said to them, |No! You've come to find out where our country is unprotected.|

13 They answered him, |We were 12 brothers, sons of one man in Canaan. The youngest brother stayed with our father, and the other one is no longer with us.|