Bible (King James)/Genesis/Chapter 42

Now1707. when ^[1] 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: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may ^[2] 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, ^[3] Leſt peradventure miſchief befall him.

5 And the ſons of Iſrael came to buy corn among thoſe that came: for the famine was ^[4] in the land of Canaan.

6 ¶ And Joſeph was the governor ^[5] over the land, and he it was that ſold to all the people of the land: and Joſeph's brethren came, and ^[6] bowed down themſelves before him with their faces to the earth.

7 And Joſeph ſaw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himſelf ſtrange unto them, and ſpake †† Heb. hard things with them. roughly unto them; and he ſaid unto them, 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 ^[7] remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and ſaid unto them, Ye are ſpies; to ſee the nakedneſs of the land ye are come.

10 And they ſaid unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are 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 are 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 ^[8] is not.

14 And Joſeph ſaid unto them, That is it that I ſpake unto you, ſaying, Ye are ſpies:

15 Hereby ye ſhall be proved: ^[9] By the life of Pharaoh ye ſhall not go forth hence, except your youngeſt brother come hither.

16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye ſhall be †† Heb. bound. kept in priſon, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or elſe by the life of Pharaoh ſurely ye are ſpies.

17 And he †† Heb. gathered. put them all together into ward three days.

18 And Joſeph ſaid unto them the third day, This do, and live; ^[10] for I fear God:

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

20 But ^[11] 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, ^[12] 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; ^[13] therefore is this diſtreſs come upon us.

22 And Reuben anſwered them, ſaying, ^[14] Spake I not unto you, ſaying, Do not ſin againſt the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, alſo his blood is ^[15] required.

23 And they knew not that Joſeph underſtood them; for †† Heb. an interpreter was between them. he ſpake unto them by an interpreter.

24 And he turned himſelf about 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 ^[16] thus did he unto them.

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

27 And as ^[17] one of them opened his ſack to give his aſs provender in the inn, he eſpied his money; for, behold, it was in his ſack's mouth.

28 And he ſaid unto his brethren, My money is reſtored; and, lo, it is even in my ſack: and their heart †† Heb. went forth. 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 unto them; ſaying,

30 The man, who is the lord of the land, ^[18] ſpake †† Heb. with us bard things. 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 be twelve brethren, ſons of our father; one is not, 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, ^[19] 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 no ſpies, but that ye are true men: ſo will I deliver you your brother, and ye ſhall ^[20] traffick in the land.

35 ¶ And it came to paſs as they emptied their ſacks that, behold, ^[21] 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 ^[22] bereaved of my children: Joſeph is not, and Simeon is not, ​and ye will take Benjamin away: all theſe things are againſt me.

37 And Reuben ſpake 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 ^[23] his brother is dead, and he is left alone: ^[24] if miſchief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then ſhall ye ^[25] bring down my gray hairs with ſorrow to the grave.