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Genesis 42
New Catholic Bible
Genesis 42
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 42
The Sons of Jacob Seek Food in Egypt.[a] 1 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at each other?” 2 He continued, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may stay alive and not die.”
3 So ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with the others, for he said, “Some misfortune might befall him.” 5 The sons of Israel, therefore, arrived to buy grain along with all the others who had also come, for there was famine in Canaan.
6 Joseph had authority over the land, and he sold grain to all the people of the land. Therefore, the brothers of Joseph came to him and bowed down to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he hid his identity from them. He spoke harshly and said, “Where do you come from?”
They answered, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”
8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered the dreams he had concerning them, and he said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
10 They answered, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest. Your servants are not spies.”
12 But he said to them, “No, you have come to spy out the nakedness of the land.”
13 They said, “Your servants are twelve in all. We are brothers, sons of one man from the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with his father, and one is no more.”
14 Joseph said to them, “Things are just as I have said: you are spies. 15 This is how you shall be put to the test. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave here until your youngest brother has arrived. 16 Send one of your number to bring your brother; the rest will remain as prisoners. You will thus be put to the test concerning what you have said, to see if you have told the truth. If not, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies.” 17 And he then held them in prison for three days.
18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you shall live, for I fear God! 19 If you are honest, then leave one of your brothers in prison and go to bring the grain to ease the hunger of your household. 20 Then bring me your youngest brother. In this way, your words will be seen to be true and you will not die.” They agreed.
21 They said among themselves, “Surely this terrible thing has come upon us because of our brother. We saw his torment when he begged us, and we did not listen to him. That is why this trouble has come upon us.”
22 Reuben spoke to them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you refused to listen. Now we will pay for his blood.” 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them because he was using an interpreter.
24 He walked away from them and cried. Then he returned and spoke with them. He selected Simeon and had him placed in chains while they were watching.
25 The Sons of Jacob Return to Canaan.[b] Joseph gave orders that their sacks be filled with grain, and that each one’s money be placed in his sack, and that they be given provisions for their journey. This was done for them. 26 Then they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
27 At their night encampment, one of them opened his sack to take out forage for his donkey and saw his money lying at the mouth of the sack. 28 He told his brothers, “My money has been returned to me. Look, it was in my sack.”
Their hearts sank, and they began to shake, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them. 30 “That man who is the lord of the land spoke harshly to us and placed us in prison as spies of the land. 31 We told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies! 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is at home with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 “But the man who is lord of the land answered us, ‘This is how I shall know if you are honest: leave one of your brothers here with me, take the grain you need for your household, and go. 34 Then bring your youngest brother back to me. In that way I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest. I will return your brother and you will have the freedom of the land.’ ”
35 As they emptied their sacks, each one found his money bag in his sack. When they and their father saw their money bags, they were filled with fear. 36 And their father Jacob said, “You have taken away my sons. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would like to take away Benjamin. Everything is against me!”
37 Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if we do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to me, and I will bring him back.”
38 But he answered, “My son shall not go down there with you because his brother is dead and he alone remains. If something bad were to happen to him during the journey that you were making, you would make these gray hairs go down into the netherworld.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 42:1 Joseph’s dreams (Gen 37:5-11) are fulfilled: without knowing it, his brothers prostrate themselves at his feet. In a moving scene in which he feigns severity and hides his feelings, Joseph leads them to bare their guilt in having sold their brother as a slave. The rhythm of the account demands the lengthy suspense in these chapters, which might seem at times to be deliberately cruel.
- Genesis 42:25 The sons of Jacob wend their way home in sadness. Simeon has been retained as a hostage, the viceroy demands Benjamin, and the gold of the payment is stashed in the sacks. One would be worried over less.
Genesis 42
New International Version
Genesis 42
New International Version
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?” 2 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)
3 Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain(D) from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin,(E) Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him.(F) 5 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)
6 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) 7 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.”
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.(O) 9 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)
10 “No, my lord,(S)” they answered. “Your servants have come to buy food.(T) 11 We are all the sons of one man. Your servants(U) are honest men,(V) not spies.(W)”
12 “No!” he said to them. “You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”(X)
13 But they replied, “Your servants(Y) were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan.(Z) The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”(AA)
14 Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies!(AB) 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives,(AC) you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.(AD) 16 Send one of your number to get your brother;(AE) the rest of you will be kept in prison,(AF) so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth.(AG) If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!(AH)” 17 And he put them all in custody(AI) for three days.
18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:(AJ) 19 If you are honest men,(AK) let one of your brothers stay here in prison,(AL) while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households.(AM) 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me,(AN) so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.
21 They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother.(AO) We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress(AP) has come on us.”
22 Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?(AQ) But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting(AR) for his blood.”(AS) 23 They did not realize(AT) that Joseph could understand them,(AU) since he was using an interpreter.
24 He turned away from them and began to weep,(AV) but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.(AW)
25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain,(AX) to put each man’s silver back in his sack,(AY) and to give them provisions(AZ) for their journey.(BA) After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys(BB) and left.
27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey,(BC) and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack.(BD) 28 “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”
Their hearts sank(BE) and they turned to each other trembling(BF) and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”(BG)
29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan,(BH) they told him all that had happened to them.(BI) They said, 30 “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us(BJ) and treated us as though we were spying on the land.(BK) 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.(BL) 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’(BM)
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.(BN) 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men.(BO) Then I will give your brother back to you,(BP) and you can trade[a] in the land.(BQ)’”
35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver!(BR) When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened.(BS) 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more,(BT) and now you want to take Benjamin.(BU) Everything is against me!(BV)”
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,(BW) and I will bring him back.”(BX)
38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead(BY) and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him(BZ) on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave(CA) in sorrow.(CB)”
Footnotes
- Genesis 42:34 Or move about freely
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