Genesis 42 - New International Version (NIV)

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

1. Genesis 42:34 Or move about freely

Cross references

1. Genesis 42:1 : Ac 7:12
2. Genesis 42:2 : Ge 43:2, 4; 44:25
3. Genesis 42:2 : ver 19, 33; Ge 43:8; 47:19; Ps 33:18-19
4. Genesis 42:3 : ver 10; Ge 43:20
5. Genesis 42:4 : S Ge 35:18
6. Genesis 42:4 : ver 38
7. Genesis 42:5 : S Ge 41:57
8. Genesis 42:5 : ver 13, 29; Ge 31:18; 45:17
9. Genesis 42:5 : S Ge 12:10; S Dt 32:24; Ac 7:11
10. Genesis 42:6 : S Ge 41:41; S Ne 5:14
11. Genesis 42:6 : S Ge 41:36
12. Genesis 42:6 : S Ge 33:3
13. Genesis 42:7 : ver 30
14. Genesis 42:7 : S Ge 29:4
15. Genesis 42:8 : Ge 37:2
16. Genesis 42:9 : S Ge 37:7
17. Genesis 42:9 : ver 14, 16, 30; Dt 1:22; Jos 2:1; 6:22
18. Genesis 42:9 : ver 12
19. Genesis 42:10 : S Ge 37:8
20. Genesis 42:10 : S ver 3
21. Genesis 42:11 : ver 13; Ge 44:7, 9, 16, 19, 21, 31; 46:34; 47:3
22. Genesis 42:11 : ver 15, 16, 19, 20, 34
23. Genesis 42:11 : ver 31
24. Genesis 42:12 : ver 9
25. Genesis 42:13 : S ver 11
26. Genesis 42:13 : S ver 5; Ge 46:31; 47:1
27. Genesis 42:13 : ver 24, 32, 36; S Ge 37:30, 33; 43:7, 29, 33; 44:8; Jer 31:15
28. Genesis 42:14 : S ver 9
29. Genesis 42:15 : 1Sa 17:55
30. Genesis 42:15 : S ver 11; Ge 43:3, 5, 7; 44:21, 23
31. Genesis 42:16 : ver 15
32. Genesis 42:16 : ver 19
33. Genesis 42:16 : S ver 11
34. Genesis 42:16 : S ver 9
35. Genesis 42:17 : S Ge 40:4
36. Genesis 42:18 : S Ge 20:11; S 22:12; Lev 19:14; 25:43; 2Sa 23:3
37. Genesis 42:19 : S ver 11
38. Genesis 42:19 : ver 16
39. Genesis 42:19 : S ver 2
40. Genesis 42:20 : S ver 15
41. Genesis 42:21 : Ge 37:26-28
42. Genesis 42:21 : Ge 45:5
43. Genesis 42:22 : Ge 37:21-22
44. Genesis 42:22 : S Ge 9:5
45. Genesis 42:22 : Ge 45:24
46. Genesis 42:23 : Ge 38:16
47. Genesis 42:23 : S Ge 11:7
48. Genesis 42:24 : S Ge 29:11
49. Genesis 42:24 : S ver 13; Ge 43:14, 23
50. Genesis 42:25 : Ge 43:2
51. Genesis 42:25 : ver 27, 35; Ge 43:12, 18, 21; 44:1, 8
52. Genesis 42:25 : Jer 40:5
53. Genesis 42:25 : Ge 45:21, 23
54. Genesis 42:26 : S Ge 32:15; 44:13; 45:17; 1Sa 25:18; Isa 30:6
55. Genesis 42:27 : Jdg 19:19; Job 39:9; Isa 1:3
56. Genesis 42:27 : S ver 25
57. Genesis 42:28 : Jos 2:11; 5:1; 7:5
58. Genesis 42:28 : Mk 5:33
59. Genesis 42:28 : Ge 43:23
60. Genesis 42:29 : S ver 5
61. Genesis 42:29 : Ge 44:24
62. Genesis 42:30 : ver 7
63. Genesis 42:30 : S ver 9
64. Genesis 42:31 : ver 11
65. Genesis 42:32 : S ver 13
66. Genesis 42:33 : S ver 2
67. Genesis 42:34 : S ver 11
68. Genesis 42:34 : S ver 24
69. Genesis 42:34 : Ge 34:10
70. Genesis 42:35 : S ver 25
71. Genesis 42:35 : Ge 43:18
72. Genesis 42:36 : S ver 13
73. Genesis 42:36 : S ver 24
74. Genesis 42:36 : Job 3:25; Pr 10:24; Ro 8:31
75. Genesis 42:37 : S Ge 39:4
76. Genesis 42:37 : Ge 43:9; 44:32
77. Genesis 42:38 : Ge 37:33
78. Genesis 42:38 : ver 4
79. Genesis 42:38 : S Ge 37:35
80. Genesis 42:38 : Ge 44:29, 34; 48:7