Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt 1 UST Meanwhile{ back in the region of Canaan},{ when} Jacob heard that there was grain{ for sale} in{ the country of} Egypt, he told his sons,“Do not just{ stand around} doing nothing! BSB BSB: When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
2 UST Listen{ to this}! I heard that there is grain{ for sale} in{ the country of} Egypt.{ So} go down there and buy{ some} for us{ and our families}{ to eat}, so that we can stay alive and not starve to death.” BSB BSB: “Look,” he added, “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 UST So Joseph’ s ten{ older} brothers{ left home and} traveled down to Egypt to buy{ some} grain{ there}. BSB BSB: So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 UST But Jacob did not allow Joseph’ s{ younger} brother Benjamin to go{ to Egypt} with{ the rest of} his brothers, because Jacob was afraid that something bad might happen to him. BSB BSB: But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
5 UST Israel’ s sons arrived{ in Egypt} along with{ many} other people who were coming{ there} to buy{ food}, because the severe food shortage was{ also}{ affecting everyone} in the region of Canaan. BSB BSB: So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
6 UST { Since} Joseph{ was} the administrator over the country{ of Egypt}, he{ was} the one selling{ grain} to people{ who came to him} from all over the country. So Joseph’ s brothers{ also} went before him{ like everyone else} and bowed down{ with}{ their} faces to the ground{ to show him respect}. BSB BSB: Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
7 UST When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended that he did not{ know}{ them}. In fact, he spoke to them sternly and asked them,“What country are you from?” They answered{ him},“{ Sir,}{ we are} from the region of Canaan to buy{ some} grain.” BSB BSB: And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
8 UST Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not realize who he was. BSB BSB: Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
9 UST Then Joseph remembered what he had dreamed about his brothers{ long ago}, so he accused them,“You are secretly gathering information{ about our country}! You came{ here} to find out where{ our} country is weak!” BSB BSB: Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
10 UST But his brothers replied to him,“Sir, we are not{ spies}. Rather,{ we are} humble men{ who} have come{ here}{ only} to buy{ some} grain. BSB BSB: “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
11 UST We{ are} all brothers who have the same father. We{ are} humble, trustworthy men, not spies.” BSB BSB: We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
12 UST But Joseph accused them,“{ That is} not{ true}! You have definitely come{ here} to find out where{ our} country is weak!” BSB BSB: “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
13 UST But they replied{ to him},“Sir,{ there were} twelve of us brothers. We{ are} sons of the same father{ who lives} in the region of Canaan.{ Our} youngest{ brother}{ is} with our father right now, but{ our other} brother has died.” BSB BSB: But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
14 UST But Joseph accused them,“What I told you is true! You are spying{ on our country}! BSB BSB: Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
15 UST { So now,} this is how I will verify whether{ or not} you{ told me the truth}: As certain as{ King} Pharaoh lives,{ I swear that} you will{ definitely} never leave Egypt until your youngest brother is here. BSB BSB: And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 UST { So} one of you must go{ back home} and bring your{ youngest} brother back{ here}.{ The rest of} you must stay here in prison. That way I can verify{ whether} you told me the truth. But if you are lying, as certain as{ King} Pharaoh lives,{ that means} you really are spying{ on our country}!” BSB BSB: Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
17 UST Then Joseph{ had his soldiers} lock up his brothers in prison{ for} three days. BSB BSB: So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
18 UST Three days later, Joseph said to them,“I am a man who reveres God. So if you do what I say,{ I will let} you live. BSB BSB: and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
19 UST Since you{ claim to be} trustworthy men, I will make{ just} one of you brothers stay where you have been, in prison.{ The rest of} you{ may} go{ and} carry food back{ home}{ for} your hungry families. BSB BSB: If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
20 UST But you{ must} bring your youngest brother{ back}{ here} to me. That way I will know that you are telling the truth, and I will let you live.” So Joseph’ s brothers{ agreed to} do what he said. BSB BSB: Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.
21 UST { While they were still standing there,} they said to each other,“Surely what we did to our brother{ Joseph}{ long ago} was{ very} wrong. We saw how he was suffering when he begged us{ not to harm him}, but we refused to listen{ to him}. That is why we are suffering now.” BSB BSB: Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
22 UST Reuben scolded them by saying,“I told you{ that} you should not do anything bad to him! But you refused to listen{ to me}, and now look, God is holding us responsible for causing him to die!” BSB BSB: And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
23 UST Joseph’ s brothers did not realize that he{ could} understand{ what they were saying to each other}, because he had been speaking to them using a translator{ as if he did not know their language}. BSB BSB: They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
24 UST { When Joseph heard what they were saying,} he turned his back to them and started crying. Then{ after he recovered,} he turned back around and spoke to them{ again}. Then he chose Simeon from{ among} them and{ had his soldiers} bind him{ with chains} while they watched. BSB BSB: And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan 25 UST Then Joseph told{ his servants} to fill his brothers’ sacks{ with} grain.{ He} also{ told them} to{ secretly} put in each brother’ s sack the money{ they had paid for the grain} and to provide them{ with} food to eat on their trip{ home}. After Joseph did that for his brothers, BSB BSB: Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
26 UST his brothers loaded their{ sacks of} grain onto their donkeys’{ backs} and started traveling{ home}. BSB BSB: and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
27 UST Later,{ when they stopped} at a place to stay for the night, one{ of them} opened his sack to get{ some} grain to feed his donkey. There in the top of his sack he saw the money that he had used{ to buy grain}! BSB BSB: At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.
28 UST So he exclaimed to the others,“Somebody has returned my money{ to me}! Here it is in my sack!”{ When they saw it,} they were{ completely} shocked, and they shook{ with fear}. They asked each other,“Why is God doing this to us?” BSB BSB: “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 UST { When} they reached{ their home in} the region of Canaan where their father Jacob was, they told him everything they had experienced. They said, BSB BSB: When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:
30 UST “The man who governs the country{ of Egypt} spoke to us sternly and accused us of spying{ on}{ their} country! BSB BSB: “The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
31 UST But we told him,‘We{ are} trustworthy{ men}; not spies. BSB BSB: But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
32 UST { There were} twelve of us brothers,{ and}{ we are} the sons of the same father. One{ of our brothers} has died, and the youngest{ brother}{ is}{ at home} with our father right now in the region of Canaan.’ BSB BSB: We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 UST But the man who governs the country told us,‘This is how I will know if you{ are} trustworthy{ men}: You must leave one of you{ here} with me, and{ the rest of you} go{ home} with{ food for} your starving families. BSB BSB: Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.
34 UST But bring your youngest brother{ back}{ here} to me. Then I will know that you{ are} trustworthy{ men} and not spies.{ Then} I will return your brother to you{ from prison}, and you can travel around my country{ and trade}{ freely}.’” BSB BSB: But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”
35 UST Then Joseph’ s brothers started emptying their sacks{ of grain}, and there inside each man’ s sack was his bag of money{ that he had paid for the grain}!{ When} they and their father{ Jacob} saw the{ money} bags, they were terrified. BSB BSB: As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.
36 UST Then their father exclaimed to them,“You have caused me{ terrible} loss! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And{ now} you{ want to} take Benjamin{ away}{ from me}{ too}! Everything is going terribly for me!” BSB BSB: Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
37 UST Reuben replied,“{ Father,} let me be responsible for{ taking} Benjamin{ down to Egypt}. If I fail to bring him{ back} to you{ safely}, you can{ punish me by} killing my two sons.” BSB BSB: Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”
38 UST But his father replied,“{ No,} I will not let my son{ Benjamin} go down{ to Egypt} with you. His brother is dead, so he is the only son{ I have} left{ from his mother}. So if anything bad happened to him on{ your} journey, you would cause me, your elderly father, to grieve so badly that I would{ die and} go down to the afterworld!” BSB BSB: But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”