Genesis 42 NIV ISV Parallel

◄ Genesis 42 ►

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1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just 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?

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."

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."

3Then ten 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 Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come 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."

5So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

9Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

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!"

10"No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food.

10"No, your majesty," they replied. "Your servants have come here to buy food.

11We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies."

11We're all sons of a common father. We're honest men, your majesty. We're not spies!"

12"No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

12But Joseph kept insisting, "It's just as I've said—you've come here to spy on our unguarded territories!"

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."

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."

14Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies!

14"I'm right!" Joseph insisted. "Just as I said, you're spies!

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.

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 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!"

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!"

17And he put them all in custody for three days.

17Then Joseph locked them all together in prison for three days.

18On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God:

18Three days later, Joseph told them, "I fear God, so do this and you'll live.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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."

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!"

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."

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 could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.

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 began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and 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 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,

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 their grain on their donkeys and left.

26Then they each mounted up, their donkeys having been loaded with grain, and left from there.

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.

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!

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?"

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 came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said,

29As soon as they had returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them.

30"The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land.

30"The man who was in charge of the land spoke harshly to us," they said. "He accused us of being spies!

31But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies.

31But we told him, 'No! We're honest men! We're not spies!

32We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in 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.'

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.

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.

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.'"

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 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.

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 children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against 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 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."

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 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."

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!"

New International Version (NIV)

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