Genesis

42 Then saw Jacob that there was corn in Egypt,—and Jacob said to his sons, Wherefore look ye one at another?

2 And he said, Lo! I have heard that there is corn in Egypt,—Go down thither, and buy corn for us from thence, that we may live and not die.

3 So Joseph’s ten brethren went down—to buy corn from the Egyptians;

4 but Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren,—for he said, Lest there befall him any mischief.

5 Thus came in the sons of Israel, to buy corn in the midst of them that came,—for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Now, Joseph—he it was that was in power over the land, he it was that was selling corn to all the people of the land,—so Joseph’s brethren came in, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.

7 And Joseph beheld his brethren and recognised them,—and made himself a stranger unto them and spake with them harsh things and said unto them—Whence have ye come in? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

8 And Joseph recognised his brethren,—whereas they recognised him not.

9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed regarding them,—so he said unto them—Spies are ye! to see the nakedness of the land have ye come in!

10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord,—but thy servants are come to buy food.

11 All of us are sons of one man,—honest men are we: thy servants are not spies.

12 And he said unto him,—Nay! but the nakedness of the land are ye come in to see.

13 And they said: We, thy twelve servants, are brethren, sons of one man in the land of Canaan,—and lo! the youngest is with our father this day, and the one is not!

14 And Joseph said unto them,—The very thing that I spake unto you, saying—Spies are ye.

15 Hereby shall ye be proved,—By the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go forth from hence, save only by the coming in of your youngest brother hither.

16 Send—from among you—one that he may fetch your brother, but be ye held as prisoners, that your words may be proved whether truth is with you,—and if not by the life of Pharaoh surely spies ye are.

17 So he drew them all together into ward, for three days.

18 And Joseph said unto them on the third day, This do and live,—God himself do I revere.

19 If ye are honest men, one brother of you shall be kept as a prisoner in your house of ward,—but ye go take in corn for the famine of your houses;

20 and your youngest brother shall ye bring in unto me, that your words may be confirmed, and ye die not. And they did so.

21 And they said, each man unto his brother—Verily guilty we are respecting our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he appealed unto us for favour and we hearkened not,—therefore hath come in unto us this distress.

22 And Reuben responded to them, saying—Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child! And ye hearkened not? His very blood, therefore, lo! it is required.

23 But they knew not that Joseph was hearkening,—for the interpreter was between them.

24 So he turned away from them and wept,—then came back unto them and spake unto them, and took away from them Simeon, and bound him prisoner before their eyes.

25 Then commanded Joseph that their bags should be filled with corn, and their silver be returned, each man’s into his sack, and provision be given for the journey,—and it was done to them thus.

26 So they lifted up their corn on their asses,—and went their way from thence.

27 And the first opened his sack to give fodder to his ass at the inn,—and beheld his silver, yea, there, it was in the mouth of his sack!

28 So he said unto his brethren, My silver hath been returned, yea verily, there it is in my sack! Then went forth their heart, and they turned trembling—each man unto his brother, saying, What is this that God hath done to us?

29 So they came in unto Jacob their father to the land of Canaan,—and told him all that had befallen them, saying:

30 The man that is lord of the land spake unto us harsh things,—and then delivered us up as spies of the land.

31 And we said unto him, Honest men are we,—we are not spies!

32 Twelve brethren are we, sons of our father,—the one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33 Then said the man, the lord of the land, unto us, Hereby shall I get to know that honest men ye are,—One brother of you leave ye remaining with me, and corn for the famine of your houses take ye and go your way;

34 And bring ye in your youngest brother unto me, So must I get to know that ye are not spies, but are honest men: Your brother will I give up to you, and with the land shall ye traffic.

35 And it came to pass, when they were emptying their sacks, then lo! each man’s bundle of silver was in his sack,—and when they beheld their bundles of silver—they and their father, they were afraid.

36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved,—Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and Benjamin ye would take! Against me have happened all these things.

37 Then spake Reuben unto his father, saying, My two sons shalt thou put to death, if I bring him not unto thee,—Come, give him up upon my hand, and I will restore him unto thee.

38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you,—For his brother is dead and he alone is left, and as surely as there befall him any mischief by the way wherein ye go, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow unto hades.