Genesis 42 - Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt for Food

42 When Jacob realized that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 Then he said, “Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us there that we may live and not die.” 3 And the ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, for he feared harm would come to him.[a] 5 Then the sons of Israel went to buy grain amid those other people who went as well, for there was famine in the land of Canaan. 6 Now Joseph was the governor over the land. He was the one who sold food to all the people of the land. And the brothers of Joseph came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger to them. And he spoke with them harshly and said to them, “From where have you come?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed concerning them, and he said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!” 10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We all are sons of one man. We are honest men. We, your servants, are not spies.” 12 Then he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 13 Then they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, but behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.” 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is what I said to you—you are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh you will not go out from here unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, but you will be kept in prison so that your words might be tested to see if there is truth with you. And if not, by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.” 17 Then he gathered them into the prison for three days. 18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live; I fear God. 19 If you are honest, let one of your brothers be kept in prison where you are now being kept,[b] but the rest of you go, carry grain for the famine for your households. 20 You must bring your youngest brother to me, and then your words will be confirmed and you will not die.” And they did so. 21 Then each said to his brother, “Surely we are guilty on account of our brother when we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded for mercy to us and we would not listen. Therefore this trouble has come to us.” 22 Then Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not say to you, do not sin against the boy? But you did not listen, and now, behold, his blood has been sought.” 23 Now they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them. 24 And he turned away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and spoke to them, and took Simeon from them and tied him up in front of them. 25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to return their money to each sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them. 26 Then they loaded their grain upon their donkeys and went away from there. 27 And one of them later opened his sack to give fodder to his donkey at the lodging place and saw his money—behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28 And he said to his brothers, “My money was returned and moreover, behold, it is in my sack!” Then their hearts failed them[c] and each of them trembled and said, “What is this God has done to us?”

29 And when they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan they told him everything that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as if we were spying out the land. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest; we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, the sons of our father. One is no more and the youngest is with our father now in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest. Leave one brother with me, and take food for the famine in your households and go. 34 And bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies but you are honest. And I will give your brother back to you, and you will trade in the land.’” 35 And it happened that when they emptied their sacks, behold, each one’s pouch of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw the pouches of their money, they were greatly distressed. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me—Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and Benjamin you would take! All of this is against me! 37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hand and I myself will return him to you.” 38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone remains. If harm meets him on the journey that you would take, you would bring down my gray head in sorrow to Sheol.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 42:4 Literally “he thought, lest harm encounter him”
  2. Genesis 42:19 Literally “in the house of your custody”
  3. Genesis 42:28 Literally “their heart went out”

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Genesis 42 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

42 And Jacob seeth that there is corn in Egypt, and Jacob saith to his sons, `Why do you look at each other?' 2 he saith also, `Lo, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt, go down thither, and buy for us from thence, and we live and do not die;' 3 and the ten brethren of Joseph go down to buy corn...
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Genesis 42 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

42 Forsooth Jacob heard that foods were sold in Egypt, and he said to his sons, Why be ye negligent? 2 I [have] heard that wheat is sold in Egypt; go ye down, and buy ye necessaries to us, that we may live, and be not wasted by neediness. (I have heard that corn, or grain, is being sold in Egypt; go...
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Genesis 42 - World English Bible (WEB)

42 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die.” 3 Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain f...
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Genesis 42 - The Voice (VOICE)

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Genesis 42 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Joseph Meets His Brothers42 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, so Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” 2 Then he said, “Look! I’ve heard that there’s grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some grain for us there so that we’ll live and not die.” 3 So Joseph’s brothe...
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Genesis 42 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live, and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s broth...
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Genesis 42 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live, and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s broth...
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Genesis 42 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another? 2 I have heard,” he said, “that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers ...
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Genesis 42 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, ‘Why do you keep looking at one another? 2 I have heard’, he said, ‘that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.’ 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers ...
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Genesis 42 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another?(A)2 I have heard,” he said, “that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”(B)3 So ten of Joseph’s brother...
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Genesis 42 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt42 When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? 2 I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.” 3 So Joseph’s ten older br...
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Genesis 42 - New Life Version (NLV)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt42 Now Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why are you looking at one another?” 2 And he said, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us, so we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went to bu...
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Genesis 42 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt42 When (A)Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may (B)live and not die.” 3 So Joseph’s te...
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Genesis 42 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Joseph’s brothers go to Egypt42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, 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, so that we may live and not die.’ 3 Then ten of Joseph’...
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Genesis 42 - New International Version (NIV)

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt42 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...
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Genesis 42 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Joseph’s Brothers Go Down to Egypt42 Jacob found out that there was grain in Egypt. So he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at one another?” 2 He continued, “I’ve heard there’s grain in Egypt. Go down there. Buy some for us. Then we’ll live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers ...
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Genesis 42 - New English Translation (NET)

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