Genesis 42

42 ¹When Jacob saw grain was in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you stare at each other?" ²He said, "Look, I've heard there's grain in Egypt. Go down and buy some for us from there, so we live and don't die." ³So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. ⁴But Jacob would not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with them, fearing harm might come to him. ⁵Israel's sons came to buy grain among the others who came, since famine was in the land of Canaan. ⁶Joseph was ruler over the land, selling grain to all its people. Joseph's brothers came and bowed to him, faces to the ground. ⁷Joseph saw and recognized his brothers, but acted like a stranger and spoke harshly: "Where are you from?" "From Canaan," they said, "to buy food."

⁸Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. ⁹Then Joseph remembered the dreams he'd dreamed about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the land's vulnerable parts."

¹⁰But they said to him, "No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹We are all sons of one man; we are honest men. Your servants have never been spies."

¹²But he said to them, "No, you have come to find the vulnerable parts of the land."

¹³They said, "Your servants are twelve brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father today, and one is gone."

¹⁴Joseph said to them, "It is just as I said to you: you are spies. ¹⁵By this you will be tested: as Pharaoh lives, you won't leave here unless your youngest brother comes. ¹⁶Send one of you to bring your brother while the rest of you stay confined, so your words can be tested, whether there is truth in you. If not, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies." ¹⁷And he put them all together in custody for three days. ¹⁸On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and live, for I fear our Father. ^a a v18 Joseph names the God he fears — our Father — testifying to his true allegiance even while disguised before his brothers. The Father whose hidden hand has guided every step of Joseph's story is the same Father his brothers worship. ¹⁹If you are honest, let one of your brothers stay here in custody, while the rest go, bringing grain for your households' famine. ²⁰Bring your youngest brother to me, so your words are confirmed and you won't die." And they did so.

²¹Then they said to each other, "Truly we are guilty over our brother, for we saw his soul's distress when he begged us and we wouldn't listen. That's why this distress has come on us." ²²Reuben answered them, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? You wouldn't listen. Now his blood is required." ²³They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. ²⁴He turned away from them and wept, then returned and spoke with them. He took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

²⁵Joseph ordered their bags filled with grain, each man's silver returned to his sack, and provisions given for the journey. So it was done for them. ²⁶Then they loaded their grain on their donkeys and departed from there. ²⁷At the lodging place, one opened his sack to feed his donkey and saw his silver there in the sack's mouth. ²⁸He said to his brothers, "My silver was returned—look, it's in my sack!" Their hearts sank; trembling, they said to each other, "What has our Father done to us?" ^b b v28 The brothers' first awakening to the Father's hand at work — even in their fear, they recognize this is more than coincidence. The Father is patiently bringing them home through Joseph's hidden mercy. ²⁹They came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him everything that had happened to them: ³⁰"The man, lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as spies of the land. ³¹But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are never spies. ³²We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is gone; the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.' ³³The man, lord of the land, told us, 'This is how I'll know you're honest: leave one brother with me, take grain against your households' famine, and go.' ³⁴Bring me your youngest brother, and I'll know you're not spies but honest men. I'll give your brother back, and you may trade in the land."

³⁵As they emptied their sacks, each found his silver bundle in his sack. Seeing their silver bundles, they and their father were afraid. ³⁶Their father Jacob said to them, "You've left me childless: Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and now you'd take Benjamin. It's all against me!"

³⁷Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you."

³⁸He said, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone remains. Should harm meet him on the journey you're taking, you would carry my gray head down to the grave in grief."