OEB GEN Chapter 42

Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt

Shorter

42 Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, and he said to his sons, ‘Why do you stand looking at each other? 2 I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt; go down there and buy for us, so that we may live and not die.’ 3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, with his brothers; for he feared that some harm might come to him. 5 So the sons of Jacob went among others to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was the governor over the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. Therefore Joseph’s brothers came and bowed before him with their faces to the earth. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers he knew them, but he acted as a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them and said, ‘Where do you come from?’ They said, ‘From the land of Canaan to buy food.’ 8 So Joseph recognised his brothers, but they did not know him.

9 Joseph also remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them and said to them, ‘You spies! You have come to find out the weaknesses of the land.’ 10 But they said to him, ‘No my lord; your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.’ 12 But he said to them, ‘No, you have come to see the weaknesses of the land.’ 13 They replied, ‘We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more.’ 14 Joseph said to them, ‘It is just as I said to you, you are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested: as sure as Pharaoh lives you shall not go away unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain in prison, that it may be proved whether you are telling the truth or not. Or else, as sure as Pharaoh lives, you are indeed spies.’ 17 So he put them all into prison for three days.

18 Then Joseph said to them on the third day, ‘Do this, and live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain in prison, but you go, carry grain to supply the needs of your households 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So shall your words be verified, and you shall not die.’

21 They did as Joseph commanded, but they said to one another, ‘We are indeed guilty because of the way we treated our brother, for when we saw his distress and when he pleaded with us, we would not listen; therefore this trouble has come upon us.’ 22 Reuben added, ‘Did I not say to you, “Do not sin against the boy,” but you would not listen? Therefore now his very blood is required.’ 23 They did not know, however, that Joseph understood them, for he had spoken to them through an interpreter. 24 But he turned away from them and wept; then he turned back and spoke to them, and, taking Simeon from among them, bound him before their eyes. 25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with grain and to restore each man’s money to his sack and to give them provision for the journey; and it was done to them.

26 So they loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed. 27 When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw the silver at the top of the sack. 28 He said to his brothers, ‘My silver has been returned; here it is in my pack.’ They were dismayed and fearful, and said to one another, ‘What has God done to us?’

29 When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened, saying, 30 ‘The man who is master in that land spoke harshly to us and imprisoned us as spies. 31 We said to him, “We are honest men; we are not spies; 32 we are twelve brothers, sons of the same father; one is no longer living, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.” 33 But the man who is master in that land said to us, “This is how I will discover if you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take the grain to supply the needs of your households and depart. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me; then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men; and I will restore your brother to you and you shall be free to go about in the land.” ’

35 As they were emptying their sacks, they found that each man’s purse of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their purses filled with money, they were afraid. 36 Jacob their father said to them, ‘You have robbed me of my children: Joseph is no longer living and Simeon is no longer here, and you would take Benjamin also. All this misfortune has overtaken me!’ 37 But Reuben said to his father, ‘You may put my two sons to death, if I do not return him to you. Put him in my charge and I will bring him back to you.’ 38 But Jacob said, ‘My son must not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he only is left. If harm should come to him on the way by which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’