New King James Version

English Standard Version

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

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

2And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.”

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.”

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

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

4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some calamity befall him.”

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

5And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

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

6Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.

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.

7Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

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.”

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

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

9Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”

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.”

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

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

11We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”

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

12But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

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

13And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”

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.”

14But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’

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

15In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

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

16Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!”

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.”

17So he put them all together in prison three days.

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

18Then Joseph said to them 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 to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses.

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,

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

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

21Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.”

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.”

22And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.”

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.”

23But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

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

24And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

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.

25Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them.

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.

26So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there.

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

27But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack.

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.

28So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”

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?”

29Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying:

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

30“The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

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

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

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

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

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.’

33Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone.

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.

34And bring your youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’ ”

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.’”

35Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

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.

36And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.”

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.”

37Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “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, “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.”

38But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”

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.”

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

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.