| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you looking at each other?" | 1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at each other? |
| 2He then said, "Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain 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, "What if some accident happens to him?" | 4But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, "Something might happen to him." |
| 5So Israel's sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, for the famine was severe in 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 country, the one who sold grain to all the people of the country. Joseph's brothers came and 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. |
| 7When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger to them and spoke to them harshly. He asked, "Where do you come from?" They answered, "From the land of Canaan, to buy grain for 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. |
| 8Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. | 8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. |
| 9Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, "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."" |
| 10But they exclaimed, "No, my lord! Your servants have come to buy grain for food! | 10No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food," they said. " |
| 11We are all the sons of one man; we are honest men! Your servants are not spies." | 11We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies."" |
| 12"No," he insisted, "but 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." |
| 13They replied, "Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, and one is no longer alive." | 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." |
| 14But Joseph told them, "It is just as I said to you: You are spies! | 14Then Joseph said to them, "I have spoken: 'You are spies!' |
| 15You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not depart from 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. |
| 16One of you must go and get your brother, while the rest of you remain in prison. In this way your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If not, 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!" |
| 17He imprisoned them all for three days. | 17So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days. |
| 18On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do as I say and you will live, for I fear God. | 18On the third day Joseph said to them, "I fear God--do this and you will live. |
| 19If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison while the rest of you go and take grain back for your hungry families. | 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. |
| 20But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then your words will be verified and you will not die." They did as he said. | 20Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won't die." And they consented to this. |
| 21They said to one other, "Surely we're being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on 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." |
| 22Reuben said to them, "Didn't I say to you, 'Don't sin against the boy,' but you wouldn't listen? So now we must pay for shedding 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!" |
| 23(Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, for he was speaking through an interpreter.) | 23They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. |
| 24He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again, he had Simeon taken from them and tied up 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 money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were 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. |
| 26So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. | 26They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there. |
| 27When one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, he saw his money in the mouth of his 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. |
| 28He said to his brothers, "My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!" They were dismayed; they turned trembling one to another and said, "What in the world has God 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?" |
| 29They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying, | 29When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: " |
| 30"The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as if we were spying on the land. | 30The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. |
| 31But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies! | 31But we told him: We are honest and not spies. |
| 32We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. One is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father at this time 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. |
| 33"Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for your hungry 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 honest men and not spies. Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely 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.'" |
| 35When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man's bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid. | 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 are making me childless! Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. And now you want to take Benjamin! Everything is 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 put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care and I will bring him back to you." | 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 an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair in sorrow to the grave." | 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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