| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? | 1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" |
| 2And 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. | 2He continued, "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." |
| 3And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. | 3Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. |
| 4But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. | 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. |
| 5And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. | 5So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also. |
| 6And 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. | 6Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. |
| 7And 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. | 7As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food." |
| 8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. | 8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. |
| 9And 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. | 9Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected." |
| 10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. | 10"No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food. |
| 11We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. | 11We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies." |
| 12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. | 12"No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected." |
| 13And 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. | 13But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more." |
| 14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: | 14Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! |
| 15Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. | 15And this 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 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. | 16Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" |
| 17And he put them all together into ward three days. | 17And he put them all in custody for three days. |
| 18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: | 18On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: |
| 19If 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: | 19If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. |
| 20But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. | 20But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die." This they proceeded to do. |
| 21And 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. | 21They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come on us." |
| 22And 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. | 22Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood." |
| 23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. | 23They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. |
| 24And 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. | 24He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. |
| 25Then 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. | 25Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, |
| 26And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. | 26they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. |
| 27And 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. | 27At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. |
| 28And 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 silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?" |
| 29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, | 29When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, |
| 30The 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 lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. |
| 31And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: | 31But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. |
| 32We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. | 32We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.' |
| 33And 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 over the land said to us, 'This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. |
| 34And 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. | 34But bring your youngest brother 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.'" |
| 35And 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. | 35As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. |
| 36And 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. | 36Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!" |
| 37And 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. | 37Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back." |
| 38And 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. | 38But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow." |
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