1. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, “Why do ye look one upon another?”

2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Go down thither and buy for us from thence, that we may live and not die.”

3 And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

4 But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, for he said, “Lest perhaps mischief befall him.”

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

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

7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he recognized them, but made himself as a stranger unto them and spoke roughly unto them; and he said unto them, “From whence come ye?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

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

9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said unto them, “Ye are spies! To see the nakedness of the land ye have come!”

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

11 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 have come.”

13 And they said, “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 no more.”

14 And Joseph said unto them, “That is it that I spoke unto you, saying, ‘Ye are spies!’

15 Hereby ye shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, unless your youngest brother come hither.

16 Send one of you and let him fetch your brother; and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested, whether there be any truth in you; or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies!”

17 And he put them all together into custody three days.

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

19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the prison house. Go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses.

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

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

22 And Reuben answered them, saying, “Spoke I not unto you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the child’; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required.”

23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them, for he spoke unto them by an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself away from them and wept; and returned to them again and communed with them, and took from them Simeon and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus did he unto them.

26 And they laded their asses with the corn and departed thence.

27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender at the inn, he espied his money; for behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 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 were afraid, saying one to another, “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 befell them, saying,

30 “The man who is the lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 And we said unto him, ‘We are true men; we are no spies.

32 We are twelve brethren, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’

33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, ‘Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: Leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone;

34 and bring your youngest brother unto me. Then shall I know that ye are not spies, but that ye are true men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.’”

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

36 And Jacob their father said unto them, “Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and ye will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”

37 And Reuben spoke 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 And he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.”

Now when Iacob saw that there was corne in Egypt, Iacob said vnto his sonnes, Why doe ye looke one vpon an other?

2And hee said, Beholde, I haue heard that there is corne in Egypt: get you downe thither and buy for vs from thence, that we may liue, and not die.

3 And Iosephs ten brethren went downe to buy corne in Egypt.

4But Beniamin Iosephs brother, Iacob sent not with his brethren: for he said, Lest peraduenture mischiefe befall him.

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

6And Ioseph was the gouernour ouer the land, and hee it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Iosephs brethren came, & bowed downe themselues before him, with their faces to the earth.

7And Ioseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himselfe strange vnto them, and spake roughly vnto them; and hee saide vnto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.

8And Ioseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

9And Ioseph remembred the dreames which hee dreamed of them, and said vnto them, Ye are spies: to see the nakednes of the land you are come.

10And they said vnto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy seruants come.

11We are all one mans sonnes, we are true men: thy seruants are no spies.

12And he said vnto them, Nay: but to see the nakednesse of the land, you are come.

13And they said, Thy seruants are twelue brethren, the sonnes of one man in the land of Canaan: and behold, the yongest is this day with our father, and one is not.

14And Ioseph said vnto them, That is it that I spake vnto you, saying, Ye are spies.

15Hereby ye shall be proued: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not goe foorth hence, except your yongest brother come hither.

16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shalbe kept in prison, that your wordes may be proued, whether there be any trueth in you: or els by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

17And he put them all together into warde, three dayes.

18And Ioseph said vnto them the third day, This doe, and liue: for I feare God.

19If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: goe ye, carry corne for the famine of your houses.

20But bring your yongest brother vnto mee, so shall your wordes be verified, and yee shall not die: and they did so.

21 And they said one to another, We are verily guiltie concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soule, when he besought vs, and we would not heare: therefore is this distresse come vpon vs.

22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not vnto you, saying, Doe not sinne against the childe, and ye would not heare? therefore behold also, his blood is required.

23And they knew not that Ioseph vnderstood them: for hee spake vnto them by an interpreter.

24And hee turned himselfe about from them and wept, and returned to them againe, and communed with them, and tooke from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Ioseph commanded to fill their sackes with corne, and to restore euery mans money into his sacke, and to giue them prouision for the way: and thus did he vnto them.

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

27And as one of them opened his sacke, to giue his asse prouender in the Inne, he espied his money: for behold, it was in his sackes mouth.

28And he said vnto his brethren, My money is restored, and loe, it is euen in my sacke: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to an other, What is this that God hath done vnto vs?

29 And they came vnto Iacob their father, vnto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell vnto them, saying;

30The man who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to vs, and tooke vs for spies of the countrey.

31And we said vnto him, We are true men; we are no spies.

32We be twelue brethren, sonnes of our father: one is not, and the yongest is this day with our father, in the land of Canaan.

33And the man the lord of the countrey said vnto vs, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: leaue one of your brethren here with me, and take foode for the famine of your housholds, and be gone.

34And bring your yongest brother vnto me: then shall I know that you are no spies, but that you are true men: so will I deliuer you your brother, and ye shall traffique in the land.

35 And it came to passe as they emptied their sacks, that behold, euery mans bundle of money was in his sacke: and when both they and their father saw the bundels of money, they were afraid.

36And Iacob their father said vnto them, We haue ye bereaued of my children: Ioseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye wil take Beniamin away: all these things are against me.

37And Reuben spake vnto his father, saying; Slay my two sonnes, if I bring him not to thee: deliuer him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee againe.

38And he said, My sonne shall not goe downe with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischiefe befall him by the way in the which yee goe, then shall ye bring downe my gray haires with sorrow to the graue.

I == Acts 7:12

 

 

II == Gen 43:8 ; Ps 118:17 ; Isa 38:1

 

 

 

IV == Gen 42:38

 

 

V == Acts 7:11

 

VI == Gen 37:7 ; 41:41

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IX == gen 37:5 , 9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIII == Gen 37:30 ; 44:20 ; Lam 5:7

 

 

 

 

 

XV == 1st Sam 1:26 ; 17:55

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVIII == Lev 25:43 ; Neh 5:15

 

 

 

XX == Gen 42:34 ; 43:5 ; 44:23

 

 

XXI == Job 36:8-9 ; Prov 21:13 ; Hos 5:15 ; Matt 7:2

 

 

XXII == Gen 9:5 ; 37:21 ; 1st Kings 2:32 ; 2nd Chr 24:22 ; Ps 9:12 ; Luke 11:50-51

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXV == Matt 5:44 ; Rom 12:17 , 20-21

 

 

 

 

XXVII == Gen 43:21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXX == Gen 42:7

 

 

XXXIII == Gen 42:15 , 19-20

 

XXXIV Gen 34:10

 

XXXV == Gen 43:21

 

XXXVI == Gen 43:14

 

XXXVIII == gen 37:33 ; 42:4 , 13 ; 44:28-29

 

1 When Jacob learned that grain rations were available in Egypt, he said to his sons: "Why do you keep gaping at 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."

3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy an emergency supply of grain from 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.

5 Thus, since there was famine in the land of Canaan also, the sons of Israel were among those who came to procure rations.

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,

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."

8 When Joseph recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize 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."

10 "No, my lord," they replied. "On the contrary, your servants have come to procure food.

11 All of us are sons of the same man. We are honest men; your servants have never been spies."

12 But he answered them: "Not so! You have come to see the nakedness of the 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."

14 "It is just as I said," Joseph persisted; "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.

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!"

17 With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse 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.

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.

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.

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."

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."

23 They did not know, of course, that Joseph understood what they said, since he spoke with 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.

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,

26 they loaded their donkeys with the rations and departed.

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.

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?"

29 When they got back to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that 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.

31 But we said to him: 'We are honest men; we have never been 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.'

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.

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.'"

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.

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?"

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."

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."

v 1,2. Jacob rebuked his sons for not taking action during this emergency.

 

 

 

v 3-5. Perhaps Jacob had begun to suspicion that the disappearance of Joseph was not all the brothers said it was. He was not about to risk losing Benjamin, the only remaining son of his favorite wife. The famine was widespread and many people were coming to Egypt to buy food. 

 

v 6-9. This was the first of several times the prophecy of the brothers bowing down to Joseph was fulfilled. It is not in anger that Joseph speaks roughly and accuses them of being spies. He is looking for any softening of attitude from the time when he had told his dreams and is considering a test. They don’t recognize him, being older, dressed as a prince. and speaking Egyptian through an interpreter.

 

 

 

 

v 10-13. As Joseph leads them on, they try to clear themselves,  revealing the desired family information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 14-20. Joseph is testing his brothers regarding their attitude toward Benjamin. To make his investigation credible  in seeming to doubt them, he insists they must be imprisoned and one sent home for Benjamin. After three days, he releases them with the reason that he fears God. Then eases his order and allows all to go take grain for the starving relatives, except one to be kept as hostage till the younger brother would come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 21-24. Not needing an interpreter to translate, Joseph hears them rehearsing their wrong done to him. He hears of Reuben’s futile effort to protect him, and the belief they are being judged for his blood. (Sort of like being able to sit in on your own funeral.) Joseph is overcome with emotion, but when he recovers, he shows “tough love” by going ahead with his plans to imprison Simeon. He was probably the most guilty in wanting to do away with Joseph.

 

 

 

v 25-29. Finding the money returned in their sacks made them even more fearful that God was doing something to them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 30-34. The returning men give their father a full report of the conversation and events that  had taken place before the rough appearing Egyptian leader, including being required to bring their younger brother to prove they are not spies and to do business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 35. They are stricken with more fear as they all find the money in their sacks.

 

 

 

 

v 36-38. With Joseph and Simeon both gone Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go, even though Reuben offered his two sons as security. Of course that would just mean more blood shed and would not bring Benjamin back. “Only he is left.”  implies Jacob hardly regarded all his other sons in comparison to the last remaining son of Rachel.