Genesis 42:1-22 ▼

1 And Jacob having seen that there was a sale of corn in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are ye indolent?

2 Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; go down thither, and buy for us a little food, that we may live, and not die.

3 And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn out of Egypt.

4 But Jacob sent not Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, with his brethren; for he said, Lest, haply, disease befall him.

5 And the sons of Israel came to buy with those that came, for the famine was in the land of Chanaan.

6 And Joseph was ruler of the land; he sold to all the people of the land. And the brethren of Joseph, having come, did reverence to him, bowing with the face to the ground.

7 And when Joseph saw his brethren, he knew them, and estranged himself from them, and spoke hard words to them; and said to them, Whence are ye come? And they said, Out of the land of Chanaan, to buy food.

8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

9 And Joseph remembered his dream, which he saw; and he said to them, Ye are spies; to observe the marks of the land are ye come.

10 But they said, Nay, Sir, we thy servants are come to buy food;

11 we are all sons of one man; we are peaceable, thy servants are not spies.

12 And he said to them, Nay, but ye are come to observe the marks of the land.

13 And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, in the land of Chanaan; and, behold, the youngest is with our father to-day, but the other one is not.

14 And Joseph said to them, This is it that I spoke to you, saying, ye are spies;

15 herein shall ye be manifested; by the health of Pharao, ye shall not depart hence, unless your younger brother come hither.

16 Send one of you, and take your brother; and go ye to prison, till your words be clear, whether ye speak the truth or not; but, if not, by the health of Pharao, verily ye are spies.

17 And he put them in prison three days.

18 And he said to them on the third day, This do, and ye shall live, for I fear God.

19 If ye be peaceable, let one of your brethren be detained in prison; but go ye, and carry back the corn ye have purchased.

20 And bring your younger brother to me, and your words shall be believed; but, if not, ye shall die. And they did so.

21 And each said to his brother, Yes, indeed, for we are in fault concerning our brother, when we disregarded the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we hearkened not to him; and therefore has this affliction come upon us.

22 And Ruben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Hurt not the boy, and ye heard me not? and, behold, his blood is required.