Adverts
1 When Jacob learned that there was wheat in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing there looking at one another? “
2 He further said: “I heard that there is wheat in Egypt. Go down there and buy wheat for us, so that we can stay alive and not die of hunger.”
3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt to buy wheat.
Adverts
4 Jacob did not allow Benjamin, Joseph's brother, to go with them, fearing that some harm would happen to him.
5 The children of Israel were among others who also went to buy wheat, because of the famine in the land of Canaan.
6 Joseph was the governor of Egypt and he was the one who sold wheat to all the people of the land. Therefore, when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him, face to the ground.
7 Joseph recognized his brothers as soon as he saw them, but he acted as if he didn't know them, and spoke harshly to them: “Where do you come from? ” They replied, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
9 Then he remembered the dreams he had had about them and said to them: “You are spies! They came to see where our land is unprotected.”
10 They replied: “No, my lord. Your servants came to buy food.
11 We are all children of the same father. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
12 But José insisted: “No! You came to see where our land is unprotected.”
13 And they said, “Your servants were twelve brothers, all sons of the same father, in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now at home with his father, and the other has already died.”
14 José stated again: “It's as I told you: You are spies!
15 You will be put to the test: I swear on Pharaoh's life that you will not leave here until your youngest brother comes here.
16 Send one of you to look for your brother while the others wait in prison. This way it will be proven whether your words are true or not. If you are not, I swear on Pharaoh's life that it will be confirmed that you are spies! “
17 And he left them imprisoned for three days.
18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, “I fear God. If you want to save your lives, do the following:
19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers here in prison, while the others return, taking wheat to satisfy their families' hunger.
20 But bring me your youngest brother, so that your words may be proven and you will not have to die.”
21 They were willing to do this and said to each other, “Surely we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw how distressed he was as he begged us for his life, but we did not listen to him; That’s why this anguish has come upon us.”
22 Reuben replied: “Did I not tell you not to mistreat the boy? But you didn't want to listen to me! Now we will have to account for your blood.”
23 But they did not know that Joseph could understand them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.
24 Then José left and began to cry, but soon he returned and talked to them again. Then he chose Simeon and had him chained before them.
25 Then, Joseph ordered them to fill their luggage with wheat, return each of their silver, placing it in their luggage, and give them food for the journey. And so it was done.
26 They put the load of wheat on their donkeys and left.
27 At the place where they stopped to spend the night, one of them opened the luggage to get fodder for his donkey and saw the silver in the mouth of the luggage.
28 And he said to his brothers, “They gave me back my silver. It’s here in my luggage.” Their hearts were filled with terror, and trembling, they said to one another, “What is this that God has done to us? “
29 When they arrived at the house of their father Jacob, in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them, saying:
30 “The man who rules that country spoke harshly to us and treated us as spies of the land.
31 But we assure you that we are honest men and not spies.
32 We also said that we were twelve brothers, children of the same father, and that one had already died and that the youngest was with our father, in Canaan.
33 “Then the man who governs that country said to us: 'Let's see if you are honest: one of your brothers will stay here with me, and the others will be able to come back and take food to satisfy their families' hunger.
34 However, bring me your youngest brother, so that I can prove that you are not spies, but honest men. Then I will give you back your brother and authorize you to do business in this land.'
35 When they emptied their luggage, inside each person's luggage was their bag full of silver. When they and their father saw the bags full of silver, they were afraid.
36 And their father Jacob said to them, “You are taking my children away from me! I was left without Joseph, now without Simeon and they still want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me! “
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back. Leave him in my care, and I will bring him back.”
38 But the father replied, “My son will not go down with you; His brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If any harm happens to you on the journey you are about to take, you will make these gray hairs of mine go down to the grave with sadness.”
