Genesis 42 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

1 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?”

2 Then he said ^H559, “Look ^H2009, I have heard ^H8085 that there ^H3426 is ^H3426 grain ^H7668 in Egypt ^H4714; go ^H3381 down ^H3381 there ^H8033 and buy ^H7666 some for us from [fn]that place ^H8033, so that we may live ^H2421 and not die ^H4191.” 3 So ten ^H6235 of Joseph’s ^H3130 brothers ^H251 went ^H3381 down ^H3381 to buy ^H7666 grain ^H1250 from Egypt ^H4714. 4 But Jacob ^H3290 did not send ^H7971 Joseph’s ^H3130 brother ^H251 Benjamin ^H1144 with his brothers ^H251, for he said ^H559, “I am afraid that harm ^H611 may happen ^H7122 to him.” 5 So the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 came ^H935 to buy ^H7666 grain ^H7666 among ^H8432 those who were coming ^H935, because ^H3588 the famine ^H7458 was also in the land ^H776 of Canaan ^H3667.

6 Now Joseph ^H3130 was the ruler ^H7989 over ^H5921 the land ^H776; he was the one who sold ^H7666 grain ^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 faces ^H639 to the ground ^H776. 7 When Joseph ^H3130 saw ^H7200 his brothers ^H251, he recognized ^H5234 them, but he disguised ^H5234 himself to them and spoke ^H1696 to them harshly ^H7186. He said ^H559 to them, “Where ^H370 have you come ^H935 from?” And they said ^H559, “From the land ^H776 of Canaan ^H3667, to buy ^H7666 food ^H400.”

8 But Joseph ^H3130 had recognized ^H5234 his brothers ^H251, although they did not recognize ^H5234 him. 9 And Joseph ^H3130 remembered ^H2142 the dreams ^H2472 which ^H834 he [fn]had ^H2492 about them, and he said ^H559 to them, “You are spies ^H7270; you have come ^H935 to look ^H7200 at the [fn]undefended ^H6172 parts ^H6172 of our land ^H776.” 10 And they said ^H559 to him, “No ^H3808, my lord ^H113, but your servants ^H5650 have come ^H935 to buy ^H7666 food ^H400. 11 We are all ^H3605 sons ^H1121 of one ^H259 man ^H376; we are honest ^H3651 men ^H3651, your servants ^H5650 are not spies ^H7270.” 12 Yet he said ^H559 to them, “No ^H3808, but you have come ^H935 to look ^H7200 at the [fn]undefended ^H6172 parts ^H6172 of our land ^H776!” 13 But they said ^H559, “Your servants ^H5650 are twelve ^H8147 H6240 brothers ^H251 in all, the sons ^H1121 of one ^H259 man ^H376 in the land ^H776 of Canaan ^H3667; and behold ^H2009, the youngest ^H6996 is with our father ^H1 today ^H3117, and one ^H259 is no ^H369 longer ^H369 alive.” 14 Yet Joseph ^H3130 said ^H559 to them, “It is as I said ^H1696 [fn]to you, you are spies ^H7270; 15 by this ^H2088 you will be tested ^H974: by the life ^H2416 of Pharaoh ^H6547, you shall not leave ^H3318 this ^H2088 place unless ^H3588 H518 your youngest ^H6996 brother ^H251 comes ^H935 here ^H2008! 16 Send ^H7971 one ^H259 of you and have him get ^H3947 your brother ^H251, while you remain confined ^H631, so that your words ^H1697 may be tested ^H974, whether there is truth ^H571 in you. But if ^H518 not, by the life ^H2416 of Pharaoh ^H6547, you are certainly ^H3588 spies ^H7270!” 17 So he put ^H622 them all ^H622 together ^H622 in prison ^H4929 for three ^H7969 days ^H3117.

18 Now 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: 19 if ^H518 you are honest ^H3651 men ^H3651, let one ^H259 of your brothers ^H251 be confined ^H631 in [fn]your prison ^H1004 H4929; but as for the rest of you, go ^H1980, carry ^H935 grain ^H7668 for the famine ^H7459 of your households ^H1004, 20 and bring ^H935 your youngest ^H6996 brother ^H251 to me, so that your words ^H1697 may be verified ^H539, and you will not die ^H4191.” And they did ^H6213 so ^H3651. 21 Then they said ^H559 to one ^H376 another ^H251, “Truly ^H61 we are guilty ^H818 concerning ^H5921 our brother ^H251, because ^H834 we saw ^H7200 the distress ^H6869 of his soul ^H5315 when he pleaded ^H2603 with us, yet we would not listen ^H8085; for that ^H3651 reason ^H3651 this ^H2088 distress ^H6869 has happened ^H935 to us.” 22 Reuben ^H7205 answered ^H6030 them, saying ^H559, “Did I not tell ^H559 [fn]you, ‘Do not sin ^H2398 against the boy ^H3206’; and you would not listen ^H8085? [fn]Now ^H1571 H2009 justice for his blood ^H1818 is required ^H1875.” 23 They did not know ^H3045, however, that Joseph ^H3130 understood ^H8085, for there was an interpreter ^H3887 between ^H996 them. 24 Then he turned ^H5437 away ^H5437 from them and wept ^H1058. But when he returned ^H7725 to them and spoke ^H1696 to them, he took ^H3947 Simeon ^H8095 from them and bound ^H631 him before their eyes ^H5869. 25 Then Joseph ^H3130 gave ^H6680 orders ^H6680 to fill ^H4390 their bags ^H3627 with grain ^H1250, but also to return ^H7725 every ^H376 man’s ^H376 money ^H3701 in his sack ^H8242, and to give ^H5414 them provisions ^H6720 for the journey ^H1870. And that ^H3651 is ^H3651 what ^H3651 was done ^H6213 for them.

26 So they loaded ^H5375 their donkeys ^H2543 with their grain ^H7668 and departed ^H1980 from there ^H8033. 27 But when one ^H259 of them opened ^H6605 his sack ^H8242 to give ^H5414 his donkey ^H2543 feed ^H4554 at the overnight ^H4411 campsite ^H4411, he saw ^H7200 his money ^H3701; and behold ^H2009, it was in the opening ^H6310 of his sack ^H572! 28 So he said ^H559 to his brothers ^H251, “My money ^H3701 has been returned ^H7725, and look ^H2009, it is right ^H1571 in my sack ^H572!” Then their hearts ^H3820 [fn]sank ^H3318, and they turned [fn]trembling ^H2729 to one ^H376 another ^H251, saying ^H559, “What ^H4100 is this ^H2088 that God ^H430 has done ^H6213 to us?”

Simeon Is Held Hostage

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

30 “The man ^H376, the lord ^H113 of the land ^H776, spoke ^H1696 harshly ^H7186 with us, and took ^H5414 us for spies ^H7270 of the country ^H776. 31 But we said ^H559 to him, ‘We are honest ^H3651 men ^H3651; we are not spies ^H7270. 32 We are twelve ^H8147 H6240 brothers ^H251, sons ^H1121 of our father ^H1; one ^H259 is no ^H369 longer ^H369 alive, and the youngest ^H6996 is with our father ^H1 today ^H3117 in the land ^H776 of Canaan ^H3667.’ 33 But the man ^H376, the lord ^H113 of the land ^H776, said ^H559 to us, ‘By this ^H2088 I will know ^H3045 that you are honest ^H3651 men ^H3651: leave ^H5117 one ^H259 of your brothers ^H251 with me and take ^H3947 grain for the famine ^H7459 of your households ^H1004, and go ^H1980. 34 But bring ^H935 your youngest ^H6996 brother ^H251 to me so that I may know ^H3045 that you are not spies ^H7270, but [fn]honest ^H3651 men ^H3651. I will give ^H5414 your brother ^H251 to you, and you may trade ^H5503 in the land ^H776.’”

35 Now it came ^H1961 about ^H1961, as they were emptying ^H7324 their sacks ^H8242, that behold ^H2009, every ^H376 man’s ^H376 bag ^H6872 of money ^H3701 was in his sack ^H8242; and when they and their father ^H1 saw ^H7200 their bags ^H6872 of money ^H3701, they were ^H3372 afraid ^H3372. 36 And their father ^H1 Jacob ^H3290 said ^H559 to them, “You have deprived ^H7921 me of ^H7921 my sons ^H7921: Joseph ^H3130 is ^H369 gone ^H369, and Simeon ^H8095 is ^H369 gone ^H369, and now you would take ^H3947 Benjamin ^H1144; all ^H3605 these things are against ^H5921 me.” 37 Then Reuben ^H7205 spoke ^H559 to his father ^H1, saying ^H559, “You may put ^H4191 my two ^H8147 sons ^H1121 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 if ^H518 I do not bring ^H935 him back to you; put ^H5414 him in my [fn]care ^H3027, and I will return ^H7725 him to you.” 38 But [fn]Jacob said ^H559, “My son ^H1121 shall not go ^H3381 down ^H3381 with you; for his brother ^H251 is dead ^H4191, and he alone ^H905 is left ^H7604. If harm ^H611 should happen ^H7122 to him on the journey ^H1870 [fn]you are taking ^H1980, then you will bring ^H3381 my gray ^H7872 hair ^H7872 down ^H3381 to Sheol ^H7585 in sorrow ^H3015.”