1Now when Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) saw that there was corn in Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land), Ya’akov said unto his sons, Why do youf look one upon another?

2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Mitzrayim [Egypt]: get you down there, and buy for us from there; that we may live, and not die.

3Yosef’s (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) ten brethren went down to buy corn in Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land).

4But Binyamin (This Son Is Strength), Yosef’s (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) brother, Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest perhaps mischief befall him.

5And the sons of Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) came to buy [corn] among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues).

6And Yosef [was] the governor over the land, [and] he [it was] that sold to all the people of the land: and Yosef’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him [with] their faces to the earth.

7And Yosef saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come youf? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

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

9And Yosef remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, You1sf [are] spies; to see the nakedness of the land you1sf are come.

10And they said unto him, No, my lord, but to buy food are youri servants come.

11We [are] all one man’s sons; we [are] true [men], youri servants are no spies.

12And he said unto them, No, but to see the nakedness of the land youf are come.

13And they said, youri servants [are] twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues); and, behold, the youngest [is] this day with our father, and one [is] not.

14And Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) said unto them, That [is it] that I spoke unto you, saying, You1sf [are] spies:

15Hereby you1sf shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh (Great House) you1sf shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come to this place (till this point in time).

16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and you1sf shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether [there be any] tin you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you1sf [are] spies.

17And he put them all to (to do entirely, do wholly) gether into ward (in custody, with a guard; prison) three days.

18And Yosef said unto them the third day, This do, and live; [for] I fear God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered]:

19If you1sf [be] true [men], let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go you1sf, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

20But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and youf shall not die. And they did so.

21And they said one to another, We [are] truly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

22And Re’uven (behold a son) answered them, saying, Spoke I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and youf would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

23And they knew not that Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) understood [them]; for he spoke unto them by an interpreter.

24And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Shim’on (heard; he who hears; man of hearing), and bound him before their eyes.

25Then Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and in this way did he unto them.

26And they laded their donkeys with the corn, and departed there.

27And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey provender (food for livestock or cattle) in the inn, he discovered (spied out; examined) his money; for, behold, it [was] in his sack’s mouth.

28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, [it is] even in my sack: and their heart failed [them], and they were afraid, saying one to another, What [is] this [that] God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] has done unto us?

29And they came unto Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) their father unto the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues), and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

30The man, [who is] the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31And we said unto him, We [are] true [men]; we are no spies:

32We [be] twelve brethren, sons of our father; one [is] not, and the youngest [is] this day with our father in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues).

33And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that you1sf [are] true [men]; leave one of yourf brethren [here] with me, and take [food for] the famine of yourf households, and be gone:

34And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that you1sf [are] not spies, but [that] you1sf [are] true [men: so] will I deliver [to] youf yourf brother, and you1sf shall traffick (trade; do business) [engage in illegal activity] in the land.

35And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money [was] in his sack: and when [both] they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36And Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) their father said unto them, Me have youf bereaved [of my children]: Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) [is] not, and Shim’on (heard; he who hears; man of hearing) [is] not, and you1sf will take Binyamin (This Son Is Strength) [away]: all these things are against me.

37And Re’uven (behold a son) spoke unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to youi: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to youi again.

38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which you1sf go, then shall you1sf bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

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Genesis 42

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2Then he said, “Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from #42.2: Lit therethat place, so that we may live and not die.” 3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may happen to him.” 5So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, because the famine was also in the land of Canaan.

6Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

8But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. 9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he #42.9: Lit had dreamedhad about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the #42.9: Lit nakedness of the landundefended parts of our land.” 10And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.” 12Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the #42.12: Lit nakedness of the landundefended parts of our land!” 13But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.” 14Yet Joseph said to them, “It is as I said #42.14: Lit to you, sayingto you, you are spies; 15by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16Send one of you and have him get your brother, while you remain confined, so that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, you are certainly spies!” 17So he put them all together in prison for three days.

18Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: 19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in #42.19: Lit the house of your prisonyour prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, 20and bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so. 21Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; for that reason this distress has happened to us.” 22Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell #42.22: Lit you, saying,you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? #42.22: Lit And behold, his blood also is requiredNow justice for his blood is required.” 23They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24Then he turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, but also to return every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And that is what was done for them.

26So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. 27But when one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the overnight campsite, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the opening of his sack! 28So he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and look, it is right in my sack!” Then their hearts #42.28: Lit went outsank, and they turned #42.28: Lit trembledtrembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Simeon Is Held Hostage

29When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them, saying, 30“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 31But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’ 33But the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go. 34But bring your youngest brother to me so that I may know that you are not spies, but #42.34: Lit you are honesthonest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’ ”

35Now it came about, as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man’s bag of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bags of money, they were afraid. 36And their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons: Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.” 37Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my #42.37: Lit handcare, and I will return him to you.” 38But #42.38: Lit heJacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should happen to him on the journey #42.38: Lit on which you are goingyou are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

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Genesis 42

Genesis 42