Genesis 42: Joseph's brothers come to Egypt for grain
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What happens?
The famine reaches Canaan, and Jacob sends ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain, but keeps Benjamin at home. Joseph recognizes his brothers when they bow down to him, but they do not recognize him. He accuses them of being spies, keeps Simeon, and sends the others home with grain, their money put back in their sacks, and orders to bring their youngest brother.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. Jacob, Joseph, Reuben and the brothers speak. God does not speak in this chapter. In verses 30 to 34 the brothers retell to Jacob what happened in Egypt. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
In plain English: Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, and he said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at one another?"
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2He 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.”
In plain English: He said, "Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die."
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3Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
In plain English: So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
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4But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”
In plain English: But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, because he said, "Something bad might happen to him."
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5The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
In plain English: The sons of Israel came to buy grain among the others who came, because the famine was in the land of Canaan.
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6Joseph 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.
In plain English: Joseph was the governor of the land. He was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
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7Joseph 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.”
In plain English: When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he acted like a stranger and spoke harshly to them. He asked them, "Where have you come from?" They said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food."
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8Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him.
In plain English: Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
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9Joseph 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.”
In plain English: Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where the land is unprotected (word for word: the nakedness of the land)."
Good to know: The dreams are in : his brothers' bundles of grain bowed down to his bundle, and then the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowed down to him. In his brothers bow down to him with their faces to the ground.
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10They said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
In plain English: They said to him, "No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food.
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11We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
In plain English: We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies."
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12He said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”
In plain English: He said to them, "No! You have come to see where the land is unprotected."
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13They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more.”
In plain English: They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father now, and one is no more."
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14Joseph said to them, “It is like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’
In plain English: Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: you are spies!
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15By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, unless your youngest brother comes here.
In plain English: This is how you will be tested. As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
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16Send 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.”
In plain English: Send one of you to get your brother, while the rest of you are kept in prison. That way your words will be tested, to see whether you are telling the truth. If not, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies."
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17He put them all together into custody for three days.
In plain English: He put them all under guard for three days.
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18Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God.
In plain English: On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God.
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19If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.
In plain English: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay bound in your prison, and the rest of you go and take grain home for your hungry families.
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20Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die.” They did so.
In plain English: Then bring your youngest brother to me. That way your words will be proved true, and you will not die." And they did so.
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21They said to one another, “We are certainly 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 upon us.”
In plain English: They said to one another, "We are surely guilty because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he begged us, and we would not listen. That is why this distress has come on us."
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22Reuben 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.”
In plain English: Reuben answered them, "Didn't I tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy'? But you would not listen. Now, look, there is a reckoning for his blood (word for word: his blood is being required)."
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23They didn’t know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
In plain English: They did not know that Joseph understood them, because he spoke to them through an interpreter.
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24He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
In plain English: He turned away from them and wept. Then he came back and spoke to them. He took Simeon from among them and tied him up in front of their eyes.
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25Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them.
In plain English: Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's money back in his sack, and to give them food for the journey. This was done for them.
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26They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.
In plain English: They loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.
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27As 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.
In plain English: At the place where they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to feed his donkey, and he saw his money: there it was, in the mouth of his sack.
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28He said to his brothers, “My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!” Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
In plain English: He said to his brothers, "My money has been given back! Look, it is in my sack!" Their hearts sank, and they turned to one another trembling, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"
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29They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
In plain English: They came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him everything that had happened to them. They said,
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30“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
In plain English: "The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as spies of the country.
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31We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no spies.
In plain English: We told him, 'We are honest men, not spies.
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32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.’
In plain English: We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is with our father now in the land of Canaan.'
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33The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will 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.
In plain English: Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, 'This is how I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for your hungry families, and go.
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34Bring 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.’”
In plain English: Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will give your brother back to you, and you may trade (or: move about freely) in the land.'"
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35As they emptied their sacks, behold, each man’s bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
In plain English: As they were emptying their sacks, each man found his bag of money in his sack. When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid.
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36Jacob, 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.”
In plain English: Their father Jacob said to them, "You have robbed me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin away. All these things have come on me (or: are against me)."
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37Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”
In plain English: Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you."
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38He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”
In plain English: But Jacob said, "My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in sorrow."
The Hebrew word: Sheol is the Hebrew name for the place of the dead. Jacob spoke of going down to Sheol in his grief over Joseph too ().
How it is translated: This Bible keeps the Hebrew word: it says "Sheol" in 63 of the 64 verses that use it. The King James Version translates it in different places as "the grave", "hell" or "the pit".
Church tradition: Churches differ on what Sheol is: the grave, a place where all the dead wait, or a place of punishment. Genesis does not describe it.
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