¶ Now when Jacob¹ saw² that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye³ look one upon another?

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you⁴ down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we⁵ may live, and not die.

⁶And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

But Benjamin⁷, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest⁸ peradventure mischief befall him.

And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for⁹ the famine was in the land of Canaan.

And Joseph was the governor¹⁰ over the land, and he it was¹¹ that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed¹² down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

¶ And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them;¹³ and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew¹⁴ not him.

And Joseph remembered¹⁵ the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies¹⁶; to see the nakedness¹⁷ of the land ye are come.

¶¹⁸And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

We are¹⁹ all one man's sons; we are true men,²⁰ thy servants are no spies.

And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness²¹ of the land ye are come.

And they said, Thy servants²² 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 not²³.

²⁴And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life²⁵ of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except²⁶ your youngest brother come hither.

Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison²⁷, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

And he put²⁸ them all together into ward²⁹ three days.

And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God³⁰:

If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house³¹ of your prison: go ye, carry corn³² for the famine of your houses:

¶ But bring³³ your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they³⁴ did so.

¶ And they said³⁵ one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw³⁶ the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress³⁷ come upon us.

And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I³⁸ not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood³⁹ is required.

And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter⁴⁰.

And he turned himself about from them, and wept⁴¹; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon⁴², and bound him before their eyes.

Then Joseph commanded⁴³ to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them⁴⁴ provision for the way: and thus⁴⁵ did he unto them.

And they laded their asses⁴⁶ with the corn, and departed thence.

And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn⁴⁷, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth.

And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart⁴⁸ failed them,⁴⁹ and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is⁵⁰ this that God hath done unto us?

¶ And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan⁵¹, and told⁵² him all that befell unto them; saying,

¶ The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us,⁵³ and took us for spies of the country.

And we said unto him, We are true⁵⁴ men; we are no spies:

We be twelve brethren⁵⁵, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

⁵⁶And 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:

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 traffick⁵⁷ in the land.

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's⁵⁸ bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye⁵⁹ bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me⁶⁰.

And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my⁶¹ two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother⁶² is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief⁶³ befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring⁶⁴ down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.