(KJV) Genesis 42¹

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⥃Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

[1] Now when Jacob² saw³ that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye⁴ look one upon another? [2] And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you⁵ down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we⁶ may live, and not die.

[3] [¶]And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.⁷ [4] But Benjamin⁸, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest⁹ peradventure mischief befall him. [5] And the sons of Israel came to buy [corn] among those that came: for¹⁰ the famine was in the land of Canaan. [6] And Joseph [was] the governor¹¹ over the land, [and] he [it was¹²] that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed¹³ 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 roughly unto them¹⁴; 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 knew¹⁵ not him. [9] And Joseph remembered¹⁶ the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye [are] spies¹⁷; to see the nakedness¹⁸ of the land ye are come. [10] And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.¹⁹ [11] We [are²⁰] all one man’s sons; we [are] true [men²¹], thy servants are no spies. [12] And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness²² of the land ye are come. [13] And they said, Thy servants²³ [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] not²⁴. [14] And Joseph said unto them, That [is it] that I spake unto you, saying, Ye [are] spies:²⁵ [15] Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life²⁶ of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except²⁷ your youngest brother come hither. [16] Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison²⁸, 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 put²⁹ them all together into ward³⁰ three days. [18] And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; [for] I fear God³¹: [19] If ye [be] true [men], let one of your brethren be bound in the house³² of your prison: go ye, carry corn³³ for the famine of your houses: [20] But bring³⁴ your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they³⁵ did so.

[21] And they said³⁶ one to another, We [are] verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw³⁷ the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress³⁸ come upon us. [22] And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I³⁹ not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood⁴⁰ is required. [23] And they knew not that Joseph understood [them]; for he spake unto them by an interpreter⁴¹. [24] And he turned himself about from them, and wept⁴²; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon⁴³, and bound him before their eyes.

⥃Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan

[25] [¶]Then Joseph commanded⁴⁴ to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them⁴⁵ provision for the way: and thus⁴⁶ 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 in the inn⁴⁷⁴⁸, 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 heart⁴⁹ failed [them⁵⁰], and they were afraid, saying one to another, What [is⁵¹] 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, spake roughly to us⁵², and took us for spies of the country. [31] And we said unto him, We [are] true⁵³ [men]; we are no spies: [32] We [be] twelve brethren⁵⁴, 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, 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:⁵⁵ [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 traffic⁵⁶k in the land.

[35] [¶]And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s⁵⁷ 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 ye⁵⁸ bereaved [of my children]: Joseph [is] not, and Simeon [is] not, and ye will take Benjamin [away]: all these things are against me⁵⁹. [37] And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my⁶⁰ 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 brother⁶¹ is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief⁶² befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring⁶³ down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

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