| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob 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 just keep looking at each other?" |
| 2He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so 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." |
| 3Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. | 3Then ten 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 may befall him." | 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. |
| 5So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. | 5So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also. |
| 6Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. | 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. |
| 7When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, "Where have you come from?" 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." |
| 8But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. | 8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. |
| 9Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, "You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land." | 9Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected." |
| 10Then they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. | 10"No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food. |
| 11"We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies." | 11We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies." |
| 12Yet he said to them, "No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!" | 12"No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected." |
| 13But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive." | 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." |
| 14Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies; | 14Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! |
| 15by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! | 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. |
| 16"Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you 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!" |
| 17So he put them all together in prison for three days. | 17And he put them all in custody for three days. |
| 18Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this 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 you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, | 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. |
| 20and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will 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. |
| 21Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has 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." |
| 22Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood." | 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." |
| 23They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. | 23They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. |
| 24He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them 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 gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for 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, |
| 26So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. | 26they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. |
| 27As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. | 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. |
| 28Then he said to his brothers, "My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack." And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to 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?" |
| 29When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to 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, |
| 30"The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with 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. |
| 31"But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. | 31But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. |
| 32'We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today 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.' |
| 33"The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go. | 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. |
| 34'But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade 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.'" |
| 35Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed. | 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. |
| 36Their father Jacob said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; 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!" |
| 37Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you." | 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." |
| 38But Jacob said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow." | 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." |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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