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25 Joseph then gave the command to fill their sacks with grain and to restore every man’s money to his sack and to give them provisions for the way. And it was done for them.

Joseph’s Brothers Return Home

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

27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed in the lodging place, he saw his money. It was in the mouth of his sack. 28 And he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned. Here it is in my sack!”

Then their hearts sank, and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”

29 They came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and took us for spies of the country. 31 And we said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, all sons of our father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’

33 “The man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘Here is how I may 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. 34 But bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. Then I will deliver your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’ ”

35 As they emptied their sacks, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. When both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 Then Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”

37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I fail to bring him to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

38 But Jacob said, “My son must not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should happen to him on the journey you are to make, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.”

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25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain,(A) to put each man’s silver back in his sack,(B) and to give them provisions(C) for their journey.(D) After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys(E) and left.

27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey,(F) and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack.(G) 28 “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”

Their hearts sank(H) and they turned to each other trembling(I) and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”(J)

29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan,(K) they told him all that had happened to them.(L) They said, 30 “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us(M) and treated us as though we were spying on the land.(N) 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.(O) 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’(P)

33 “Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go.(Q) 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men.(R) Then I will give your brother back to you,(S) and you can trade[a] in the land.(T)’”

35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver!(U) When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened.(V) 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more,(W) and now you want to take Benjamin.(X) Everything is against me!(Y)

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care,(Z) and I will bring him back.”(AA)

38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead(AB) and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him(AC) on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave(AD) in sorrow.(AE)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 42:34 Or move about freely