Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt

42 When (A)Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” And 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 (B)live and not die.” So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, (C)Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for (D)he feared that harm might happen to him. Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

Now Joseph was governor (E)over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and (F)bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and (G)spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. And Joseph (H)remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. (I)And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

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Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt,(A) he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us,(B) so that we may live and not die.”(C)

Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain(D) from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin,(E) Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him.(F) So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain,(G) for there was famine in the land of Canaan(H) also.(I)

Now Joseph was the governor of the land,(J) the person who sold grain to all its people.(K) So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.(L) As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.(M) “Where do you come from?”(N) he asked.

“From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.”

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.(O) Then he remembered his dreams(P) about them and said to them, “You are spies!(Q) You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”(R)

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