| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you 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 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." | 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." |
| 3So 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 Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "What if some accident happens 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 came to buy grain among the other travelers, for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan. | 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 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. | 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. |
| 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." | 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." |
| 8Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. | 8But Joseph had already recognized his brothers, even though they had not recognized 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!" | 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!" |
| 10But they exclaimed, "No, my lord! Your servants have come to buy grain for food! | 10"No, your majesty," they replied. "Your servants have come here to buy food. |
| 11We are all the sons of one man; we are honest men! Your servants are not spies." | 11We're all sons of a common father. We're honest men, your majesty. We're not spies!" |
| 12"No," he insisted, "but you have come to see if our land is vulnerable." | 12But Joseph kept insisting, "It's just as I've said—you've come here to spy on our unguarded territories!" |
| 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." | 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." |
| 14But Joseph told them, "It is just as I said to you: You are spies! | 14"I'm right!" Joseph insisted. "Just as I said, you're 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. | 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! |
| 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!" | 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!" |
| 17He imprisoned them all for three days. | 17Then Joseph locked them all together in prison for three days. |
| 18On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do as I say 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, 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'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. Then your words will be verified and you will not die." They did as he said. | 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 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!" | 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 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!" | 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!" |
| 23(Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, for he was speaking through 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 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 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 26So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. | 26Then they each mounted up, their donkeys having been loaded with grain, and left from 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. | 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! |
| 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 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?" |
| 29They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying, | 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, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as if 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 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.' | 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, 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. | 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 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.'" | 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.'" |
| 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. | 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 are making me childless! Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. 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 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." | 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 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 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!" |
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