Jacob Sends His Sons to Egypt
Study note
The famine reaches Canaan, and Jacob's family is running out of food. Jacob hears that Egypt has grain for sale and scolds his sons for just sitting around looking at each other. He sends ten of them to buy food but keeps Benjamin home. Benjamin is now Jacob's most precious son — the only remaining child of his beloved wife Rachel (since Jacob believes Joseph is dead). Jacob is terrified of losing Benjamin too.
1 When Jacob heard that grain was for sale in Egypt, he told his sons, "Why are you all sitting around staring at each other?" Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
2 "I've heard there's grain for sale in Egypt. Get down there and buy some so our family can survive instead of starving to death." 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 live, and not die.
3 So ten of Joseph's brothers packed up and headed to Egypt to buy grain. And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
4 But Jacob refused to send Benjamin — Joseph's younger brother — with them. He was too worried that something terrible might happen to him. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
5 So Israel's sons joined the crowd of people going to Egypt for food. Canaan was hit by the same famine. And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Joseph Tests His Brothers
Study note
Joseph is now the governor who sells grain to everyone. When his brothers arrive, they bow face-down before him — fulfilling the dream Joseph had as a teenager. Joseph recognizes them immediately but pretends to be a stranger. He speaks harshly and accuses them of being spies. The brothers explain they are honest men, twelve brothers from Canaan, with one brother left at home and one who is gone. Joseph puts them all in prison for three days, then offers a deal: one brother will stay in prison while the others take grain home. But they must bring their youngest brother back to prove their story.
6 Joseph was the top official in charge of selling grain to everyone. When his brothers arrived, they bowed low before him with their faces touching the ground. And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
7 Joseph recognized them the second he saw them. But he kept it to himself and spoke to them roughly: "Where did you come from?" They answered, "From Canaan, to buy food." And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
8 Joseph knew exactly who they were, but they had no clue who he was. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9 Joseph's mind flashed back to those dreams he had as a teenager. He accused them, "You're spies! You came here to figure out where Egypt is defenseless!" And Joseph 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 "No, sir!" they insisted. "We're here to buy food." And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
11 "We're all brothers — sons of the same father. We're honest people, not spies!" We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.
12 Joseph shot back, "I don't believe you. You came here to spy on our weaknesses." And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
13 They explained, "Sir, there are twelve of us brothers, all sons of one father back in Canaan. Our youngest brother stayed home with our dad, and one brother... He's gone." 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 is not.
14 Joseph said, "Just as I thought — you're spies!" And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
15 "Here is how we will test your story. I swear by Pharaoh himself. You will not leave this country. Your youngest brother must come here first." Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
16 "Send one of you to go get your brother. The rest of you will stay locked up here until we can verify your story. If you're lying, then you're definitely spies." Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be 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 He threw all of them in jail for three days. And he put them all together into ward three days.
18 On day three, Joseph brought them out and said, "I am a man who takes God seriously. Do what I say and you will live." And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
19 "If you are truly honest men, one of you will stay here in prison. The rest of you take the grain home to your hungry families." 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 you must bring your youngest brother back here to me. That will prove you've been telling the truth, and you won't be executed." They agreed. But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
The Brothers Feel Guilty
Study note
The brothers speak to each other, not knowing Joseph can understand them since he has been using an interpreter. They admit their guilt over what they did to Joseph years ago, remembering how he begged them for mercy and they ignored him. Reuben reminds them that he warned them not to harm the boy. Joseph overhears all of this, turns away, and weeps. Then he has Simeon bound and taken away in front of them.
21 The brothers talked it over among themselves: "This is happening because of what we did to Joseph. We watched our brother beg for mercy. We saw the terror on his face, and we ignored him. That's why this is all happening to us now." And they said one to another, 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; therefore is this distress come upon us.
22 Reuben spoke up: "Didn't I warn you? I said, 'Don't hurt the boy!' But you wouldn't listen. Now we're paying the price for what we did." And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
23 They had no idea Joseph could understand every word. He had been using someone to translate for them. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
24 Joseph had to step away — he was overcome with emotion and started crying. After pulling himself together, he came back, picked Simeon out of the group, and had him chained up before the others. 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.
The Journey Home and Jacob's Grief
Study note
Joseph secretly orders his servants to fill his brothers' sacks with grain and put each man's money back in his sack. When one brother opens his sack at an inn along the way, he finds his money inside and they are all terrified. They believe God is punishing them. Back home, they tell Jacob everything. When they empty their sacks, every man's money is there, making them even more afraid. Jacob is devastated — he has lost Joseph, now Simeon is being held, and they want to take Benjamin. Reuben offers his own two sons as a guarantee, but Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go.
25 Then Joseph secretly ordered his workers to fill their bags with grain, slip each man's payment money back into his bag, and pack them extra food for the trip. Everything was done as he ordered. 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 thus did he unto them.
26 The brothers loaded up their donkeys with the grain and hit the road. And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
27 When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his grain bag to feed his donkey and found his money sitting right on top. And as 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 He told his brothers, "My money is back! It's right here in my bag!" They all went pale. Shaking with fear, they asked each other, "What is God doing to us?" And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?
29 They made it home to their father Jacob in Canaan and told him the whole story. And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,
30 "The man in charge of Egypt was harsh with us. He accused us of being spies." The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 "We told him, 'We're honest men, not spies.'" And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:
32 "'There are twelve of us brothers — same father. One is gone, and the youngest stayed home in Canaan.'" 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 "The man said, 'Here's how I'll know if you're honest: Leave one brother with me, take food home to your families,'" 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:
34 "'and bring your youngest brother back to me. That will prove you're not spies. Then I'll release your brother and you can come and go freely.'" 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 traffick in the land.
35 As they emptied their bags, every one of them found their money pouch inside. When they and their father saw the money, they were terrified. And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, 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 Jacob cried out, "You're going to leave me with nobody! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin? Everything is going wrong for me!" And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
37 Reuben told his father, "If I don't bring Benjamin back safely, you can kill my own two sons. Trust me with him — I'll bring him home." 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 his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in which you go, then shall you bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.