Genesis 42:1-13 ▼

1 Eventually, Jacob observed that there was grain in Egypt, so he asked his sons, |Why do you keep on staring at one another?

2 Pay attention now! I've heard that there is grain in Egypt, so go down there and buy some grain for us, so we can live, instead of dying.|

3 So ten of Joseph's brothers left to buy grain from Egypt.

4 Jacob would not send Joseph's brother Benjamin to accompany them, because he was saying, |I'm afraid that he'll come to some kind of harm.|

5 Israel's sons went in a caravan that included others who were going to Egypt to buy grain, because the famine pervaded the land of Canaan, too.

6 Meanwhile, Joseph continued to be ruler over the land, in charge of selling to everyone in the land. Joseph's brothers appeared and bowed down to him, face down.

7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he knew who they were, but he remained disguised and asked them gruffly, |Where are you from?| |From the land of Canaan,| they replied. |We're here to buy food.|

8 But Joseph had already recognized his brothers, even though they had not recognized him.

9 Furthermore, Joseph remembered the dreams that he had about them. So he accused them, |You're spies! You've come here to spy on our undefended territories!|

10 |No, your majesty,| they replied. |Your servants have come here to buy food.

11 We're all sons of a common father. We're honest men, your majesty. We're not spies!|

12 But Joseph kept insisting, |It's just as I've said—you've come here to spy on our unguarded territories!|

13 |But your majesty,| they pleaded, |your servants include twelve brothers, the sons of a common father back in the land of Canaan. Please! Our youngest brother remains with our father, and the other one is no longer alive.|