| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at each other? | 1Eventually, Jacob observed that there was grain in Egypt, so he asked his sons, "Why do you keep on staring at one another? |
| 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." | 2Pay attention now! I've heard that there is grain in Egypt, so go down there and buy some grain for us, so we can live, instead of dying." |
| 3So 10 of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. | 3So ten of Joseph's brothers left to buy grain from Egypt. |
| 4But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, "Something might happen to him." | 4Jacob would not send Joseph's brother Benjamin to accompany them, because he was saying, "I'm afraid that he'll come to some kind of harm." |
| 5The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. | 5Israel's sons went in a caravan that included others who were going to Egypt to buy grain, because the famine pervaded the land of Canaan, too. |
| 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. | 6Meanwhile, Joseph continued to be ruler over the land, in charge of selling to everyone in the land. Joseph's brothers appeared and bowed down to him, face down. |
| 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. | 7As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he knew who they were, but he remained disguised and asked them gruffly, "Where are you from?" "From the land of Canaan," they replied. "We're here to buy food." |
| 8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. | 8But Joseph had already recognized his brothers, even though they had not recognized him. |
| 9Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land."" | 9Furthermore, Joseph remembered the dreams that he had about them. So he accused them, "You're spies! You've come here to spy on our undefended territories!" |
| 10No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food," they said. " | 10"No, your majesty," they replied. "Your servants have come here to buy food. |
| 11We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies."" | 11We're all sons of a common father. We're honest men, your majesty. We're not spies!" |
| 12No," he said to them. "You have come to see the weakness of the land." | 12But Joseph kept insisting, "It's just as I've said—you've come here to spy on our unguarded territories!" |
| 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." | 13"But your majesty," they pleaded, "your servants include twelve brothers, the sons of a common father back in the land of Canaan. Please! Our youngest brother remains with our father, and the other one is no longer alive." |
| 14Then Joseph said to them, "I have spoken: 'You are spies!' | 14"I'm right!" Joseph insisted. "Just as I said, you're spies! |
| 15This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. | 15So here's how we'll test you. You can bet the life of Pharaoh that you're not leaving here until your youngest brother comes here! |
| 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!" | 16One of you is to be sent back so he can get your brother while the rest of you remain in custody. That way, we'll test whether or not you're telling the truth. If you're not, as surely as the Pharaoh lives, you're spies!" |
| 17So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days. | 17Then Joseph locked them all together in prison for three days. |
| 18On the third day Joseph said to them, "I fear God--do this and you will live. | 18Three days later, Joseph told them, "I fear God, so do this and you'll live. |
| 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. | 19If you're honest men, leave one of your brothers here in custody, then the rest of you can leave and take some grain with you to alleviate the famine that's affecting your households. |
| 20Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won't die." And they consented to this. | 20Just be sure to bring your youngest brother back to me so what you've claimed can be verified. That way, you won't die." |
| 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." | 21"We're all guilty because of what we did to our brother!" they told each other. "We kept on watching his suffering while he pleaded with us! We're in this mess because we wouldn't listen!" |
| 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!" | 22"Didn't I tell you!" Reuben replied. "'Don't wrong the kid!' I said, but would you listen? No! Now it's payback time!" |
| 23They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. | 23Meanwhile, they had no idea that Joseph could understand them, since he was talking to them through an interpreter. |
| 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. | 24He turned away from them and began to weep. When he returned, he spoke with them, but then he took Simeon away from them and had him placed under arrest right in front of them. |
| 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. | 25After this, Joseph gave orders to fill up their sacks with grain, to return each man's money to his own sack, and to supply each of them with provisions for their return journey. All of this was done for them. |
| 26They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there. | 26Then they each mounted up, their donkeys having been loaded with grain, and left from 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 money there at the top of the bag. | 27Later on, one of them opened up his sack to give his donkey some fodder after they had stopped at the place where they intended to lodge for the night. There, in the mouth of his sack, was all of his money! |
| 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?" | 28He reported to his brothers, "My money has been returned! It's right here in my sack!" Trembling with mounting consternation, each of them asked one another, "What is God doing to us?" |
| 29When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: " | 29As soon as they had returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them. |
| 30The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. | 30"The man who was in charge of the land spoke harshly to us," they said. "He accused us of being spies! |
| 31But we told him: We are honest and not spies. | 31But we told him, 'No! We're honest men! We're not spies! |
| 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. | 32Our father has twelve sons, but one of us isn't alive anymore, and our youngest brother is with our father today back home in Canaan.' |
| 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. | 33But the man who was in charge of the land responded, 'I'm going to test your honesty. Leave one of your brothers with me, take some grain for the famine that's afflicting your households, and leave. |
| 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.'" | 34But bring your youngest brother back to me so I can be sure that you're honest men, and not spies. Then I'll return your brother to you, and you'll be allowed to trade anywhere in the land.'" |
| 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. | 35Later on, as they went about unloading their sacks, each man's bundle of money was found in each man's sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were greatly distressed. |
| 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!" | 36Their father Jacob told them, "You're causing me to lose my children! Joseph is gone. Now Simeon is gone, and you're planning to take Benjamin, too. Everything's going against me!" |
| 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." | 37"Feel free to put my own two sons to death," Reuben responded to his father, "if I don't bring him back to you. Trust me—I'll bring him back to you." |
| 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." | 38But Jacob replied, "My son isn't going back with you, since his brother is dead and he's the only one left. If something should harm him as you travel, then it'll be death for me and my sad, gray hair!" |
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