| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” | 1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at each other? |
| 2“Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.” | 2Listen," he went on, "I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die." |
| 3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. | 3So 10 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 might befall him.” | 4But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, "Something might happen to him." |
| 5So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan. | 5The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. |
| 6Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. | 6Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. |
| 7And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.” | 7When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them." Where do you come from?" he asked." From the land of Canaan to buy food," they replied. |
| 8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. | 8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. |
| 9Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” | 9Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land."" |
| 10“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food. | 10No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food," they said. " |
| 11We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.” | 11We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies."" |
| 12“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” | 12No," he said to them. "You have come to see the weakness of the land." |
| 13But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.” | 13But they replied, "We, your servants, were 12 brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no longer living." |
| 14Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies! | 14Then Joseph said to them, "I have spoken: 'You are spies!' |
| 15And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. | 15This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. |
| 16Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” | 16Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" |
| 17So Joseph imprisoned them for three days, | 17So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days. |
| 18and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live: | 18On the third day Joseph said to them, "I fear God--do this and you will live. |
| 19If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households. | 19If you are honest, let one of you be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households. |
| 20Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented. | 20Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won't die." And they consented to this. |
| 21Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” | 21Then they said to each other, "Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us." |
| 22And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!” | 22But Reuben replied: "Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn't listen. Now we must account for his blood!" |
| 23They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. | 23They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. |
| 24And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. | 24He turned away from them and wept. Then he turned back and spoke to them. He took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. |
| 25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out, | 25Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man's money to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. |
| 26and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed. | 26They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there. |
| 27At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack. | 27At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his money there at the top of the bag. |
| 28“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?” | 28He said to his brothers, "My money has been returned! It's here in my bag." Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, "What is this that God has done to us?" |
| 29When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them: | 29When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: " |
| 30“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. | 30The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. |
| 31But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies. | 31But we told him: We are honest and not spies. |
| 32We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ | 32We were 12 brothers, sons of the same father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan. |
| 33Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. | 33The man who is the lord of the country said to us, 'This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. |
| 34But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’ ” | 34Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.'" |
| 35As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed. | 35As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his bag of money! When they and their father saw their bags of money, they were afraid. |
| 36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!” | 36Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!" |
| 37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” | 37Then Reuben said to his father, "You can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you." |
| 38But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” | 38But Jacob answered, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow." |
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