2 Chronicles 2

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 When Jacob learned that grain rations were available in Egypt, he said to his sons: "Why do you keep gaping at one another?	1 Jacob, seeing that there were supplies to be had in Egypt, said to his sons, 'Why do you keep staringat one another?
2 I hear," he went on, "that rations of grain are available in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, that we may stay alive rather than die of hunger."	2 I hear', he said, 'that there are supplies in Egypt. Go down and procure some for us there, so that wemay survive and not die.'
3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy an emergency supply of grain from Egypt.	3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to procure grain in Egypt.
4 It was only Joseph's full brother Benjamin that Jacob did not send with the rest, for he thought some disaster might befall him.	4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers. 'Nothing must happen to him,' hethought.
5 Thus, since there was famine in the land of Canaan also, the sons of Israel were among those who came to procure rations.	5 Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to get supplies, there being famine inCanaan.
6 It was Joseph, as governor of the country, who dispensed the rations to all the people. When Joseph's brothers came and knelt down before him with their faces to the ground,	6 It was Joseph, as the man in authority over the country, who al ocated the rations to the entirepopulation. So Joseph's brothers went and bowed down before him, their faces touching the ground.
7 he recognized them as soon as he saw them. But he concealed his own identity from them and spoke sternly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked them. They answered, "From the land of Canaan, to procure food."	7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers he recognised them. But he did not make himself known to them,and he spoke harshly to them. 'Where have you come from?' he asked. 'From Canaan to get food,' they replied.
8 When Joseph recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him,	8 Now when Joseph recognised his brothers, but they did not recognise him,
9 he was reminded of the dreams he had about them. He said to them: "You are spies. You have come to see the nakedness of the land."	9 Joseph remembered the dreams he had had about them, and said to them, 'You are spies. You havecome to discover the country's weak points.'
10 "No, my lord," they replied. "On the contrary, your servants have come to procure food.	10 'No, my lord,' they said, 'your servants have come to get food.
11 All of us are sons of the same man. We are honest men; your servants have never been spies."	11 We are al sons of the same man. We are honest men, your servants are not spies.'
12 But he answered them: "Not so! You have come to see the nakedness of the land."	12 'Oh no,' he replied, 'you have come to discover the country's weak points.'
13 "We your servants," they said, "were twelve brothers, sons of a certain man in Canaan; but the youngest one is at present with our father, and the other one is gone."	13 'Your servants were twelve brothers,' they said, 'sons of the same man in Canaan, but the youngestis at present with our father, and the other one is no more.'
14 "It is just as I said," Joseph persisted; "you are spies.	14 To which Joseph retorted, 'It is as I said, you are spies.
15 This is how you shall be tested: unless your youngest brother comes here, I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you shall not leave here.	15 This is the test you are to undergo: as sure as Pharaoh lives you shal not leave unless youryoungest brother comes here.
16 So send one of your number to get your brother, while the rest of you stay here under arrest. Thus shall your words be tested for their truth; if they are untrue, as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!"	16 Send one of your number to fetch your brother; you others will remain under arrest, so that yourstatements can be tested to see whether or not you are honest. If not, then as sure as Pharaoh lives you arespies.'
17 With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days.	17 Whereupon, he put them al into custody for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them: "Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.	18 On the third day Joseph said to them, 'Do this and you will live, for I am a man who fears God.
19 If you have been honest, only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison, while the rest of you may go and take home provisions for your starving families.	19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be detained where you are imprisoned; the rest ofyou, go and take supplies home for your starving families.
20 But you must come back to me with your youngest brother. Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die." To this they agreed.	20 But you must bring your youngest brother back to me; in this way, what you have said wil beverified, and you wil not have to die!' And this is what they did.
21 To one another, however, they said: "Alas, we are being punished because of our brother. We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us, yet we paid no heed; that is why this anguish has now come upon us."	21 And they said to one another, 'Clearly, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. Wesaw his deep misery when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen, and now this misery has come home tous.'
22 "Didn't I tell you," broke in Reuben, "not to do wrong to the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now comes the reckoning for his blood."	22 Reuben retorted to them, 'Did I not tel you not to wrong the boy? But you would not listen. Nowcomes the accounting.'
23 They did not know, of course, that Joseph understood what they said, since he spoke with them through an interpreter.	23 They did not know that Joseph understood, because there was an interpreter between them.
24 But turning away from them, he wept. When he was able to speak to them again, he had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.	24 He turned away from them and wept. When he was able to speak to them again, he chose Simeonout of their number and had him bound while they looked on.
25 Then Joseph gave orders to have their containers filled with grain, their money replaced in each one's sack, and provisions given them for their journey. After this had been done for them,	25 Joseph gave the order to fil their panniers with grain, to put back each man's money in his sack, andto give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.
26 they loaded their donkeys with the rations and departed.	26 Then they loaded their supplies on their donkeys and went away.
27 At the night encampment, when one of them opened his bag to give his donkey some fodder, he was surprised to see his money in the mouth of his bag.	27 But when they camped for the night, one of them opened his sack to give his donkey some fodderand saw his money -- there it was in the mouth of his sack.
28 "My money has been returned!" he cried out to his brothers. "Here it is in my bag!" At that their hearts sank. Trembling, they asked one another, "What is this that God has done to us?"	28 He said to his brothers, 'My money has been put back; here it is, in my sack!' Their hearts sank, andthey looked at one another in panic, saying, 'What is this that God has done to us?'
29 When they got back to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them.	29 Returning to their father Jacob in Canaan, they gave him a ful report of what had happened to them,
30 "The man who is lord of the country," they said, "spoke to us sternly and put us in custody as if we were spying on the land.	30 'The man who is lord of the country spoke harshly to us, accusing us of spying on the country.
31 But we said to him: 'We are honest men; we have never been spies.	31 We told him, "We are honest men, we are not spies.
32 There were twelve of us brothers, sons of the same father; but one is gone, and the youngest one is at present with our father in the land of Canaan.'	32 We were twelve brothers, sons of the same father. One of us is no more, and the youngest is atpresent with our father in Canaan."
33 Then the man who is lord of the country said to us: 'This is how I shall know if you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, while the rest of you go home with rations for your starving families.	33 But the man who is lord of the country said to us, "This is how I shal know whether you are honest:leave one of your brothers with me. Take supplies for your starving families and be gone,
34 When you come back to me with your youngest brother, and I know that you are honest men and not spies, I will restore your brother to you, and you may move about freely in the land.'"	34 but bring me back your youngest brother and then I shall know that you are not spies but honestmen. Then I shal give your brother back to you and you wil be free to move about the country." '
35 When they were emptying their sacks, there in each one's sack was his moneybag! At the sight of their moneybags, they and their father were dismayed.	35 As they emptied their sacks, each discovered his bag of money in his sack. On seeing their bags ofmoney they were afraid, and so was their father.
36 Their father Jacob said to them: "Must you make me childless? Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you would take away Benjamin! Why must such things always happen to me?"	36 Then their father Jacob said to them, 'You are robbing me of my children; Joseph is no more;Simeon is no more; and now you want to take Benjamin. I bear the brunt of al this!'
37 Then Reuben told his father: "Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you. You may kill my own two sons if I do not return him to you."	37 Then Reuben said to his father, 'You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you.Put him in my care and I will bring him back to you.'
38 But Jacob replied: "My son shall not go down with you. Now that his full brother is dead, he is the only one left. If some disaster should befall him on the journey you must make, you would send my white head down to the nether world in grief."	38 But he replied, 'My son is not going down with you, for now his brother is dead he is the only one left.If any harm came to him on the journey you are undertaking, you would send my white head down to Sheol withgrief!'