Genesis 42 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

Now Jacob^H3290 saw^H7200 that there^H3426 was^H3426 grain^H7668 in Egypt^H4714, and Jacob^H3290 said^H559 to his sons^H1121, “Why^H4100 are you staring^H7200 at one another?”

Gen 42:2

Gen 42:2Then he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from there, so that we may live and not die.”

Gen 42:3

Gen 42:3So ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.

Gen 42:4

Gen 42:4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest any harm befall him.”

Gen 42:5

Gen 42:5So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

Gen 42:6

Now Joseph^H3130 was the one^H7989 in power^H7989 over^H5921 the land^H776; he was the one who sold^H7666 to all^H3605 the people^H5971 of the land^H776. And Joseph’s^H3130 brothers^H251 came^H935 and bowed^H2331 down^H2331 to him with their [fn]faces^H639 to the ground^H776.

Gen 42:7

Gen 42:7And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

Gen 42:8

But Joseph^H3130 recognized^H5234 his brothers^H251, although they did not recognize^H5234 him.

Gen 42:9

Gen 42:9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he [fn]had about them and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the [fn]nakedness of the land.”

Gen 42:10

Gen 42:10Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

Gen 42:11

Gen 42:11“We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”

Gen 42:12

Gen 42:12And he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the [fn]nakedness of our land!”

Gen 42:13

Gen 42:13So 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 more.”

Gen 42:14

Gen 42:14And Joseph said to them, “It is as I said [fn]to you, you are spies;

Gen 42:15

Gen 42:15by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here!

Gen 42:16

Gen 42:16“Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”

Gen 42:17

Gen 42:17Then he put them all together in prison for three days.

Gen 42:18

And Joseph^H3130 said^H559 to them on the third^H7992 day^H3117, “Do^H6213 this^H2088 and live^H2421, for I fear^H3372 God^H430:

Gen 42:19

Gen 42:19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in [fn]your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, bring grain for the famine of your households,

Gen 42:20

Gen 42:20and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be proven true, and you will not die.” And they did so.

Gen 42:21

Gen 42:21Then they said to one another, “Surely we are guilty concerning our brother because we saw the distress of his soul when he begged us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.”

Gen 42:22

Gen 42:22And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; yet you would not listen? So also his blood, behold, it is required of us.”

Gen 42:23

Gen 42:23Now they did not know that Joseph was listening, for there was an interpreter between them.

Gen 42:24

Gen 42:24And he turned away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

Gen 42:25

Gen 42:25Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

Gen 42:26

So they loaded^H5375 their donkeys^H2543 with their grain^H7668 and went^H1980 from there^H8033.

Gen 42:27

Gen 42:27Then one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place. And he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

Gen 42:28

Gen 42:28So he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts [fn]sank, and they turned [fn]trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Jacob Is Bereaved

Gen 42:29

Then they came^H935 to their father^H1 Jacob^H3290 in the land^H776 of Canaan^H3667 and told^H5046 him all^H3605 that had happened^H7136 to them, saying^H559,

Gen 42:30

Gen 42:30“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us and took us for spies of the country.

Gen 42:31

Gen 42:31“So we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

Gen 42:32

Gen 42:32‘We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’

Gen 42:33

Gen 42:33“Then 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.

Gen 42:34

Gen 42:34‘But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but [fn]honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’”

Gen 42:35

Now it happened^H1961 that they were emptying^H7324 their sacks^H8242, and behold^H2009, every^H376 man’s^H376 bundle^H6872 of money^H3701 was in his sack^H8242; and they and their father^H1 saw^H7200 their bundles^H6872 of money^H3701, and they feared^H3372.

Gen 42:36

Gen 42:36And their father Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.”

Gen 42:37

Gen 42:37Then 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 hand, and I will return him to you.”

Gen 42:38

Gen 42:38But [fn]Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone remains. If harm should befall him on the journey on which you are going, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”