²⁹ They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying, ³⁰ “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us^[a] as if we were^[b] spying on the land. ³¹ But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies! ³² We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father.^[c] One is no longer alive,^[d] and the youngest is with our father at this time^[e] in the land of Canaan.’

³³ “Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain^[f] for your hungry households and go. ³⁴ But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know^[g] that you are honest men and not spies.^[h] Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’”^[i]

³⁵ When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man’s bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid. ³⁶ Their father Jacob said to them, “You are making me childless! Joseph is gone.^[j] Simeon is gone.^[k] And now you want to take^[l] Benjamin! Everything is against me.”

³⁷ Then Reuben said to his father, “You may^[m] put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care^[n] and I will bring him back to you.” ³⁸ But Jacob^[o] replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left.^[p] If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair^[q] in sorrow to the grave.”^[r]