English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”

1When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another?

2And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”

2I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.”

3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

3So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him.

4But Jacob wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, for fear some harm might come to him.

5Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

5So Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well.

6Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.

6Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground.

7Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

7Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food.”

8And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him.

9And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

9And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”

10They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food.

10“No, my lord!” they exclaimed. “Your servants have simply come to buy food.

11We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”

11We are all brothers—members of the same family. We are honest men, sir! We are not spies!”

12He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.”

12“Yes, you are!” Joseph insisted. “You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”

13And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.”

13“Sir,” they said, “there are actually twelve of us. We, your servants, are all brothers, sons of a man living in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is back there with our father right now, and one of our brothers is no longer with us.”

14But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies.

14But Joseph insisted, “As I said, you are spies!

15By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

15This is how I will test your story. I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you will never leave Egypt unless your youngest brother comes here!

16Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”

16One of you must go and get your brother. I’ll keep the rest of you here in prison. Then we’ll find out whether or not your story is true. By the life of Pharaoh, if it turns out that you don’t have a younger brother, then I’ll know you are spies.”

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

17So Joseph put them all in prison for three days.

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

18On the third day Joseph said to them, “I am a God-fearing man. If you do as I say, you will live.

19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households,

19If you really are honest men, choose one of your brothers to remain in prison. The rest of you may go home with grain for your starving families.

20and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so.

20But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. This will prove that you are telling the truth, and you will not die.” To this they agreed.

21Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

21Speaking among themselves, they said, “Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.”

22And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.”

22“Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?” Reuben asked. “But you wouldn’t listen. And now we have to answer for his blood!”

23They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

23Of course, they didn’t know that Joseph understood them, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter.

24Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

24Now he turned away from them and began to weep. When he regained his composure, he spoke to them again. Then he chose Simeon from among them and had him tied up right before their eyes.

25And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.

25Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, but he also gave secret instructions to return each brother’s payment at the top of his sack. He also gave them supplies for their journey home.

26Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed.

26So the brothers loaded their donkeys with the grain and headed for home.

27And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack.

27But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get grain for his donkey, he found his money in the top of his sack.

28He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

28“Look!” he exclaimed to his brothers. “My money has been returned; it’s here in my sack!” Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, “What has God done to us?”

29When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying,

29When the brothers came to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them.

30“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land.

30“The man who is governor of the land spoke very harshly to us,” they told him. “He accused us of being spies scouting the land.

31But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies.

31But we said, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’

32We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One brother is no longer with us, and the youngest is at home with our father in the land of Canaan.’

33Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way.

33“Then the man who is governor of the land told us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your starving families and go on home.

34Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”

34But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know you are honest men and not spies. Then I will give you back your brother, and you may trade freely in the land.’”

35As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

35As they emptied out their sacks, there in each man’s sack was the bag of money he had paid for the grain! The brothers and their father were terrified when they saw the bags of money.

36And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.”

36Jacob exclaimed, “You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!”

37Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. I’ll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back.”

38But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

38But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave. ”

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.