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.”