Genesis 42:1-8 ▼

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.