Genesis 42

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Jacob, seeing that there were supplies to be had in Egypt, said to his sons, 'Why do you keep staringat one another?	1 Then Jacob, hearing that food was being sold in Egypt, said to his sons: “Why are you negligent?
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.'	2 I have heard that wheat is being sold in Egypt. Go down and buy necessities for us, so that we may be able to live, and not be consumed by destitution.”
3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to procure grain in Egypt.	3 And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt,
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers. 'Nothing must happen to him,' hethought.	4 Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.”
5 Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to get supplies, there being famine inCanaan.	5 And they entered into the land of Egypt with the others who traveled to buy. For the famine was in the land of Canaan.
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.	6 And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and grain was sold under his direction to the people. And when his brothers had reverenced him
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.	7 and he had recognized them, he spoke harshly, as if to foreigners, questioning them: “Where did you come from?” And they responded, “From the land of Canaan, to buy necessary provisions.”
8 Now when Joseph recognised his brothers, but they did not recognise him,	8 And although he knew his brothers, he was not known by them.
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.'	9 And remembering the dreams, which he had seen in another time, he said to them: “You are scouts. You have come in order to see which parts of the land are weaker.”
10 'No, my lord,' they said, 'your servants have come to get food.	10 And they said: “It is not so, my lord. But your servants have arrived in order to buy food.
11 We are al sons of the same man. We are honest men, your servants are not spies.'	11 We are all sons of one man. We have come in peace, nor do any of your subjects devise evil.”
12 'Oh no,' he replied, 'you have come to discover the country's weak points.'	12 And he answered them: “It is otherwise. You have come to examine the unguarded parts of this land.”
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.'	13 But they said: “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father; the other is not living.”
14 To which Joseph retorted, 'It is as I said, you are spies.	14 He said: “This is just as I have said. You are scouts.
15 This is the test you are to undergo: as sure as Pharaoh lives you shal not leave unless youryoungest brother comes here.	15 I will now continue to put you to the test. By the health of Pharaoh, you will not depart from here, until your youngest brother arrives.
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.'	16 Send one of you and bring him. But you will be in chains, until what you have said is proven to be either true or false. Otherwise, by the health of Pharaoh, you are scouts.”
17 Whereupon, he put them al into custody for three days.	17 Therefore, he delivered them into custody for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, 'Do this and you will live, for I am a man who fears God.	18 Then, on the third day, he brought them out of prison, and he said: “Do as I have said, and you will live. For I fear God.
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.	19 If you are peaceful, let one of your brothers be bound in prison. Then you may go away and carry the grain that you have bought to your houses.
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.	20 And bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may be able to test your words, and you may not die.” They did as he had said,
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.'	21 and they spoke to one another: “We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he begged us and we would not listen. For that reason, this tribulation has come upon us.”
22 Reuben retorted to them, 'Did I not tel you not to wrong the boy? But you would not listen. Nowcomes the accounting.'	22 And Reuben, one of them, said: “Did not I say to you, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen to me? See, his blood is exacted.”
23 They did not know that Joseph understood, because there was an interpreter between them.	23 But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.
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.	24 And he turned himself away briefly and wept. And returning, he spoke to 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.	25 And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he ordered his ministers to fill their sacks with wheat, and to replace each one’s money in their sacks, and to give them, in addition, provisions for the way. And they did so.
26 Then they loaded their supplies on their donkeys and went away.	26 Then, having loaded their donkeys with the grain, they set out.
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.	27 And one of them, opening a sack to give his beast of burden fodder at the inn, looked upon the money at the sack’s mouth,
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?'	28 and he said to his brothers: “My money has returned to me. See, it is held in the sack.” And they were astonished and troubled, and they said to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Returning to their father Jacob in Canaan, they gave him a ful report of what had happened to them,	29 And they went to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, and they explained to him all the things that had befallen them, saying:
30 'The man who is lord of the country spoke harshly to us, accusing us of spying on the country.	30 “The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province.
31 We told him, "We are honest men, we are not spies.	31 And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery.
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."	32 We are twelve brothers conceived of one father. One is not living; the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’
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,	33 And he said to us: ‘Thus will I prove that you are peaceful. Release one of your brothers to me, and take necessary provisions for your houses, and go away,
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." '	34 and bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may know that you are not scouts. And this one, who is held in chains, you may be able to receive again. And thereafter, you shall have permission to buy what you want.’ ”
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.	35 Having said this, when they poured out their grain, each found his money tied to the mouth of his sack. And all were terrified together.
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!'	36 Their father Jacob said, “You have caused me to be without children. Joseph is not living, Simeon is held in chains, and Benjamin you would carry away. All these evils have fallen back upon me.”
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.'	37 And Reuben answered him, “Put my two sons to death, if I do not lead him back to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.”
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!'	38 But he said: “My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any adversity will befall him in the land to which you travel, you would lead my grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave.”