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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Genesis 42</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/genesis/42.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc//genesis/42-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/genesis/">Genesis</a> > Genesis 42</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../genesis/41.htm" title="Genesis 41">◄</a> Genesis 42 <a href="../genesis/43.htm" title="Genesis 43">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/genesis/42.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/genesis/42.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/genesis/42.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/genesis/42.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/genesis/42.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/genesis/42.htm">NAS</a></div><br /><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/genesis/42.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a><p class="hdg">Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” <A name="3"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>“Look,” he added, “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.” <A name="4"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.” <A name="6"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan. <A name="7"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. <A name="8"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. <p class="reg">“From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.” <A name="9"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. <A name="10"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” <A name="11"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food. <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.” <A name="13"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” <A name="14"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.” <A name="15"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies! <A name="16"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” <A name="18"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>So Joseph imprisoned them for three days, <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live: <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households. <A name="21"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” <p class="reg"> And to this they consented. <A name="22"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” <A name="23"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!” <A name="24"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. <A name="25"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. <A name="26"></a><p class="hdg">Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">a</a></span> to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out, <A name="27"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed. <A name="28"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack. <A name="29"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” <p class="reg"> Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?” <A name="30"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them: <A name="31"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. <A name="32"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies. <A name="33"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ <A name="34"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. <A name="35"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’<span class="thinq"> </span>” <A name="36"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-35.htm"><b>35</b></a></span>As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed. <A name="37"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-36.htm"><b>36</b></a></span>Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!” <A name="38"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-37.htm"><b>37</b></a></span>Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/genesis/42-38.htm"><b>38</b></a></span>But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”</p><A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:</b><br><br><span class="fnverse">25</span> <span class="footnotesbot">a</span> Or <i>money</i><span class="thin"> </span>; here and throughout chapters 42–44<br><br /></div><br /></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Berean Bible (<a href=http://berean.bible>www.Berean.Bible</a>) <a href=http://bereanbible.com>Berean Study Bible (BSB)</a> © 2016, 2020 by <a href=http://biblehub.com>Bible Hub</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible>Berean.Bible</a>. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Free <a href=http://berean.bible/downloads.htm>downloads</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible/licensing.htm>licensing</a> available. 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