Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt,^(A) he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” ² He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us,^(B) so that we may live and not die.”^(C)

³ Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain^(D) from Egypt.

⁶ Now Joseph was the governor of the land,^(A) the person who sold grain to all its people.^(B) So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.^{(C) 7} As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.^(D) “Where do you come from?”^(E) he asked.

“From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.”

⁸ Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.^{(F) 9} Then he remembered his dreams^(G) about them and said to them, “You are spies!^(H) You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”^(I)

¹⁰ “No, my lord,^(J)” they answered. “Your servants have come to buy food.^{(K) 11} We are all the sons of one man. Your servants^(L) are honest men,^(M) not spies.^(N)”

¹² “No!” he said to them. “You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”^(O)

¹³ But they replied, “Your servants^(P) were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan.^(Q) The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”^(R)

¹⁴ Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies!^(S)

²¹ They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother.^(A) We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress^(B) has come on us.”

²² Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?^(C) But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting^(D) for his blood.”^{(E) 23} They did not realize^(F) that Joseph could understand them,^(G) since he was using an interpreter.

²⁴ He turned away from them and began to weep,^(H) but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.^(I)

³³ “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave^(A) in place of the boy,^(B) and let the boy return with his brothers. ³⁴ How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery^(C) that would come on my father.”^(D)