Genesis, 42

1. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

1. When Jacob heard there was wheat in Egypt he said to his sons, "Why do you stand looking at one another?

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

2. I've heard there is grain in Egypt, so go down and buy some for us so that we may stay alive and not die!"

3. And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

3. Joseph's brothers - ten of them - went down to Egypt to buy wheat

4. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

4. but Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, for he said, "Something might happen to him."

5. And the sons of Israel came to buy [corn] among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

5. So the sons of Israel were among those going to buy grain, for there was famine in Canaan.

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

6. It was Joseph, as governor of the land, who sold the grain to all the people. When his brothers arrived they bowed before him, with their faces to the ground.

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

7. Joseph recognized his brothers but did not make himself known and, instead, said harshly to them, "Where do you come from?" And they answered, "We come from the land of Canaan to buy grain for food."

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

8. Joseph recognized his brothers but they did not recognize him.

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

9. And he remembered the dreams he once had concerning them. He told them, "You are spies, and it is to discover the weak points of the land that you have come."

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

10. They said, "No, my lord, your servants have come to buy grain for food.

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

11. We are all sons of the same man. We are honest men; your servants are not spies."

12. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

12. Joseph replied, "No, it is to find out the weak points of the country that you have come."

13. And they said, Thy servants [are] twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest [is] this day with our father, and one [is] not.

13. They said, "Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; the youngest is today with our father and the other is no more."

14. And Joseph said unto them, That [is it] that I spake unto you, saying, Ye [are] spies:

14. But Joseph insisted, "It's just as I said, you are spies!

15. Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

15. And this will be proved. By the life of Pharaoh you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

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

16. One of you is to go and fetch your brother. The others will be imprisoned while I verify whether you are telling the truth. If not, then as true as Pharaoh lives, you are spies."

17. And he put them all together into ward three days.

17. And so he put them all in prison for three days.

18. And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; [for] I fear God:

18. On the third day Joseph said to them, "I will help you to save yourselves, for I am a man who fears God.

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

19. If you are sincere, let one of your brothers remain prisoner in the house of the guard where you now are, and the rest of you take the grain to save your families from famine.

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

20. Then you will bring back your youngest brother; so the truth of what you say will be proved and your lives spared." They did as they were ordered

21. And they said one to another, We [are] verily 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.

21. and said among themselves, "Alas! We are guilty because of the way we treated our brother when he pleaded with us for mercy, but we didn't listen. That is why this trouble has come upon us."

22. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

22. Reuben answered them, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy. But you did not listen and now we are brought to account for his blood."

23. And they knew not that Joseph understood [them]; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

23. Now they did not know that Joseph understood them as there was an interpreter between them.

24. And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

24. As for Joseph, he withdrew and wept. When he came back, he spoke to them and took Simeon and had him bound and put in prison while they looked on.

25. Then Joseph 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 thus did he unto them.

25. Joseph ordered their sacks to be filled with wheat and their money replaced in the sack of each one and provisions be given them for the journey. All this was done;

26. And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

26. they loaded the grain on their donkeys and set off.

27. And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it [was] in his sack's mouth.

27. But in the evening one of them emptied his sack to feed his donkey at the lodging place, and he saw his money at the mouth of the sack, so he said,

28. And 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 hath done unto us?

28. "My money has been put back: here it is in my sack;" Their hearts failed them and they trembled and turned to each other and said, "What is this that God has done to us!"

29. And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

29. When they came back to Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him about all their adventures:

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

30. "The man who is governor of the country spoke harshly to us and treated us as spies,

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

31. but we said: 'We are honest men, not spies.

32. We [be] twelve brethren, sons of our father; one [is] not, and the youngest [is] this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

32. We were twelve brothers, sons of the same father; one is no more and the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.'

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

33. Then the man who is lord of the land said: By this I will know if you are honest. Leave one of your brothers here; take grain to save your families from the famine and go.

34. And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye [are] no spies, but [that] ye [are] true [men: so] will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

34. Bring back your youngest brother and let me see you are not spies but honest men. Then I shall release your brother and you can trade in the land."

35. And 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.

35. Now, when they emptied their sacks, each one found his money bag in his sack. When they saw this, they were afraid and their father as well.

36. And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved [of my children]: Joseph [is] not, and Simeon [is] not, and ye will take Benjamin [away]: all these things are against me.

36. Jacob their father said to them, "You are taking my children from me. Joseph has gone; Simeon has gone and now you are taking Benjamin. I have all this to bear!"

37. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

37. Then Reuben said to his father, "You may have the lives of my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to me and I shall see that he comes back."

38. And 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 ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

38. But Jacob said, "My son will not go with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If he were to meet with some misfortune on the way, you would send my gray head to the land of Shadows in sorrow."