1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why stand around looking at each other? 2I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get down there, and buy some for us; so that we may live, and not die.” 3Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt; 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers; for fear that some mischief might befall him.

5And so the sons of Israel were among those who went to buy grain; for the famine was throughout the land of Canaan. 6And Joseph was the governor over Egypt, and it was he that sold to all the people; and Joseph's brothers came, and bowed before him with their faces to the earth. 7And Joseph immediately recognized his brothers; but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke harshly to them: “Where are you from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” 8And while Joseph knew his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9And Joseph remembered the dreams he had about them, and said, “You are spies who have come to see where our land is unprotected.” 10And they said, “No, my lord, but we have come to buy food. 11We are all sons of one man; we are true men, and not spies.” 12And he said to them, “No, but you have come to learn the vulnerabilities of the land.” 13And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not (no longer living).” 14And Joseph said to them, “It is just as I said, ‘You are spies’: 15Here is how you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave here, unless your youngest brother comes here. 16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and you shall be kept in prison, until your words are proven - whether there is any truth in you: or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17And he put them all in prison for three days.

18And on the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this, and live; for I fear God: 19If you are true men, let one of your brothers be kept in the prison, while you go and carry grain for the famine of your households: 20But bring your youngest brother to me; to verify your words, and you shall not die.” 21And they said one to another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; that is why this distress has come upon us.” 22And Reuben said to them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the child’; and you would not hear? That is why we must give an account for his blood.” 23And they did not know that Joseph understood their discussion; for he had been speaking with them by an interpreter. 24And he turned his back to them, and wept; and then he turned back to them, and spoke with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

25Then Joseph ordered to have their sacks filled with grain, and to restore (return) every man's money back into his sack, and to give them provisions for the trip home. 26And they loaded their donkeys with the grain, and departed. 27And when one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at an inn, he discovered his money was in his sack's mouth. 28And he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned: here it is in my sack!” and their hearts sank in fear; and they were saying one to another, “What is this that God has done to us?”

29And when they arrived at home, they went to Jacob, their father, and told him all that had happened to them: 30“The man who is governor of Egypt spoke harshly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31And we told him, ‘We are true men, and not spies. 32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one brother is not (dead), and the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33And the man, the governor of the country said to us, ‘Here is how I shall know that you are true men: leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: 34And then bring your youngest brother to me; then I shall know that you are not spies, but true men; and I will free your brother, and you shall trade in this land.’”

35And as they emptied their sacks, they each found their bundle of money in his sack; and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36And Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children; Joseph is dead, and Simeon is not here, and you want to take Benjamin away: everything is going against me.” 37And Reuben said to his father, “You may slay my two sons, if I do not bring Simeon to you. Put Benjamin in my care, and I will bring him back to you again.” 38And Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he alone, is left. If mischief befalls him along the way, you shall bring my gray hairs with sorrow down to the grave (sheol).”