Genesis 42

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Then Jacob, hearing that food was being sold in Egypt, said to his sons: “Why are you negligent?
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 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 buy an emergency supply of grain from Egypt.	3 And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy 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 Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.”
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 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 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 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 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 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 When Joseph recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him,	8 And although he knew his brothers, he was not known by them.
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 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 replied. "On the contrary, your servants have come to procure food.	10 And they said: “It is not so, my lord. But your servants have arrived in order to buy food.
11 All of us are sons of the same man. We are honest men; your servants have never been spies."	11 We are all sons of one man. We have come in peace, nor do any of your subjects devise evil.”
12 But he answered them: "Not so! You have come to see the nakedness of the land."	12 And he answered them: “It is otherwise. You have come to examine the unguarded parts of this land.”
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 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 "It is just as I said," Joseph persisted; "you are spies.	14 He said: “This is just as I have said. You are scouts.
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 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 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 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 With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse 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 shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.	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 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 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 come back to me with your youngest brother. Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die." To this they agreed.	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 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 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 "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 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, of course, that Joseph understood what they said, since he spoke with them through an interpreter.	23 But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.
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 And he turned himself away briefly and wept. And returning, he spoke to them.
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 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 they loaded their donkeys with the rations and departed.	26 Then, having loaded their donkeys with the grain, they set out.
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 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 "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 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 When they got back to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that 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," they said, "spoke to us sternly and put us in custody as if we were spying on the land.	30 “The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province.
31 But we said to him: 'We are honest men; we have never been spies.	31 And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery.
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 are twelve brothers conceived of one father. One is not living; the youngest is with our father in the land of 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.”