Genesis 42

Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Ref Now Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are you looking at one another?

2 Ref And he said, I have had news that there is grain in Egypt: go down there and get grain for us, so that life and not death may be ours.

3 Ref So Joseph's ten brothers went down to get grain from Egypt.

4 Ref But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with them, for fear, as he said, that some evil might come to him.

5 Ref And the sons of Israel came with all the others to get grain: for they were very short of food in the land of Canaan.

6 Ref Now Joseph was ruler over all the land, and it was he who gave out the grain to all the people of the land; and Joseph's brothers came before him and went down on their faces to the earth.

7 Ref And when Joseph saw his brothers, it was clear to him who they were, but he made himself strange to them, and talking roughly to them, said, Where do you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to get food.

8 Ref Now though Joseph saw that these were his brothers, they had no idea who he was.

9 Ref Then the memory of his dreams about them came back to Joseph, and he said to them, You have come secretly to see how poor the land is.

10 Ref And they said to him, Not so, my lord: your servants have come with money to get food.

11 Ref We are all one man's sons, we are true men; we have not come with any secret purpose.

12 And he said to them, No, but you have come to see how poor the land is.

13 Ref Then they said, We your servants are twelve brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan; the youngest of us is now with our father, and one is dead.

14 Ref And Joseph said, It is as I said; you have come with some secret purpose;

15 Ref But in this way will you be put to the test: by the life of Pharaoh, you will not go away from this place till your youngest brother comes here.

16 Ref Send one of your number to get your brother, and the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are true; if not, by the life of Pharaoh, your purpose is certainly secret.

17 Ref So he put them in prison for three days.

18 Ref And on the third day Joseph said to them, Do this, if you would keep your lives: for I am a god-fearing man:

19 Ref If you are true men, let one of you be kept in prison, while you go and take grain for the needs of your families;

20 Ref And come back to me with your youngest brother, so that your words may be seen to be true, and you will not be put to death. This is what you are to do.

21 Ref And they said to one another, Truly, we did wrong to our brother, for we saw his grief of mind, and we did not give ear to his prayers; that is why this trouble has come on us.

22 Ref And Reuben said to them, Did I not say to you, Do the child no wrong? but you gave no attention; so now, punishment has come on us for his blood.

23 Ref They were not conscious that the sense of their words was clear to Joseph, for he had been talking to them through one who had knowledge of their language.

24 Ref And turning away from them, he was overcome with weeping; then he went on talking to them again and took Simeon and put chains on him before their eyes.

25 Ref Then Joseph gave orders for their bags to be made full of grain, and for every man's money to be put back into his bag, and for food to be given them for the journey: which was done.

26 Then they put the bags of grain on their asses and went away.

27 Ref Now at their night's resting-place one of them, opening his bag to give his ass some food, saw his money in the mouth of the bag.

28 Ref And he said to his brothers, My money has been given back: it is in my bag; then their hearts became full of fear, and turning to one another they said, What is this which God has done to us?

29 So when they came to Jacob their father, in the land of Canaan, they gave him an account of all their experiences, saying,

30 Ref The man who is the ruler of the country was rough with us and put us in prison, saying that we had come with a secret evil purpose.

31 Ref And we said to him, We are true men, we have no evil designs;

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is dead, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.

33 Ref And the ruler of the land said, In this way I may be certain that you are true men; let one of you be kept here with me, while you go and take grain for the needs of your families;

34 Ref And come back to me with your youngest brother: then I will be certain that you are true men, and I will give your brother back to you and let you do trade in the land.

35 Ref And when they took the grain out of their bags, it was seen that every man's parcel of money was in his bag; and when they and their father saw the money, they were full of fear.

36 Ref And Jacob their father said to them, You have taken my children from me: Joseph is gone and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin away; all these things have come on me.

37 Ref And Reuben said, Put my two sons to death if I do not come back to you with him; let him be in my care and I will give him safely back to you.

38 Ref And he said, I will not let my son go down with you; for his brother is dead and he is all I have: if evil overtakes him on the journey, then through you will my grey head go down to the underworld in sorrow.

39 Now the land was in bitter need of food.

World English Bible (WEB)

1 Ref Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"

2 Ref 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 Ref Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

4 Ref But Jacob didn't send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers; for he said, "Lest perhaps harm happen to him."

5 Ref The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Ref Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.

7 Ref Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, "Where did you come from?" They said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."

8 Ref Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him.

9 Ref Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land."

10 Ref They said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

11 Ref We are all one man's sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies."

12 He said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land."

13 Ref They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more."

14 Ref Joseph said to them, "It is like I told you, saying, 'You are spies.'

15 Ref Hereby you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh you shall not go forth from here, unless your youngest brother come here.

16 Ref Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies."

17 Ref He put them all together into custody three days.

18 Ref Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this, and live, for I fear God.

19 Ref If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison-house; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.

20 Ref Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won't die." They did so.

21 Ref They said one to another, "We are most assuredly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn't listen. Therefore this distress has come on us."

22 Ref Reuben answered them, saying, "Didn't I tell you, saying, 'Don't sin against the child,' and you wouldn't listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required."

23 Ref They didn't know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

24 Ref He turned himself about from them, and wept, and he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Ref Then Joseph commanded to fill their bags with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it done to them.

26 They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.

27 Ref As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging-place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 Ref He said to his brothers, "My money is restored! Behold, it is even in my sack." Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"

29 They came to Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,

30 Ref "The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 Ref We said to him, 'We are honest men. We are no spies.

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.'

33 Ref The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'Hereby will I know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way.

34 Ref Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.'"

35 Ref It happened as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 Ref Jacob, their father, said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me."

37 Ref Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons, if I don't bring him to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to you again."

38 Ref He said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him by the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."

American Standard-ASV1901 (ASV)

1 Ref Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

2 Ref And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

3 Ref And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt.

4 Ref But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest Peradventure harm befall him.

5 Ref And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Ref And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth.

7 Ref And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them. Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

8 Ref And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

9 Ref And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

10 Ref And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

11 Ref We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

13 Ref And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

14 Ref And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

15 Ref hereby ye shall be proved: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

16 Ref Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

17 Ref And he put them all together into ward three days.

18 Ref And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live: for I fear God:

19 Ref if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses:

20 Ref and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

21 Ref And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

22 Ref And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.

23 Ref And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

24 Ref And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spake to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Ref Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provisions for the way: and thus was it done unto them.

26 And they laded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.

27 Ref And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 Ref And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, What is this that God hath done unto us?

29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,

30 Ref The man, the lord of the land, spake roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 Ref And we said unto him, We are true men; and we are no spies:

32 we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33 Ref And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take `grain for' the famine of your houses, and go your way;

34 Ref and bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.

35 Ref And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 Ref And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

37 Ref And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

38 Ref And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left: if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.

Chapter 42 of 50

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