Genesis 42:1-38

When Jacob learned there was food in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around here staring at each other? I hear there is grain in Egypt; go there and buy some for us so we don’t all starve to death.” So Joseph’s ten half brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt, but Jacob did not send Joseph’s full brother Benjamin with them, because he feared something might happen to him. So Israel’s sons were among those who went to Egypt to buy grain, for the famine in the land of Canaan was severe. Now Joseph was the governor of the land of Egypt, which meant he supervised the sale of grain to all the people. One day, Joseph’s ten brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces on the ground. As soon as Joseph saw them, he realized that they were his brothers! But he pretended he didn’t know them and spoke to them harshly: “Where do you come from?” “From the land of Canaan,” they answered, “and we’re here to buy food.” Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they had no clue that it was Joseph speaking to them. Then at once, Joseph remembered the dreams he had about them bowing down before him! Pausing, he said to them, “You are spies! You’ve come to see where our land is weak!” His brothers replied, “No, master; we’ve come to buy food. We, your servants, are honest men; we’d never think of spying! We’re blood brothers, sons of one father.” Joseph interrupted, “No! You are spies who have come here to find our weakness!” “We are your servants,” they insisted. “We were twelve brothers, our youngest brother remained behind with our father, and one brother—well, he is no more.” Joseph said to them, “It’s just as I said; you are spies! And here is how I’ll test you: unless your younger brother comes and presents himself here before me, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not depart from here! One of you must go and bring me your brother, while the rest of you will remain here in confinement. This way I will test your words to see if the story you have told me is true. If not, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” He placed them all in prison together for three days. On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do as I say and you will live. I am a man who respects God. If you are as honest as you say you are, then I will keep just one of your brothers here in confinement while the rest of you carry grain home for your starving families. You must return with your youngest brother so that I may verify your story, and that you may not die.” So they agreed to do so. With Joseph standing there, they began to speak among themselves, saying, “Look what’s happened to us! We’re being punished for what we did to Joseph long ago. We heard his cries of anguish and saw the agony of his soul when he begged us for mercy, but we turned a deaf ear. That’s why all this trouble has come upon us!” Then Reuben spoke up, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! So now we’re paying the price for his murder!” They had no clue that Joseph understood every word, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter. Deeply affected by what he heard, Joseph began to weep and hurriedly left their presence. After he had composed himself, he returned to them, and pointing to Simeon, said, “This one will remain here.” Then he had him tied and bound while they all watched. Joseph then gave orders to have their bags filled with grain, to hide each man’s money back inside his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey home. After this was done for them, they loaded their donkeys with the bags of grain and departed. Later, they camped for the night, and as one of them opened his sack of grain to feed his donkey, he discovered that his money was there right on top of the grain! He shouted to his brothers, “My money! Look, someone put my money back in my sack!” Troubled and trembling, they said to each other, “What in the world has God done to us?” When they came to their father Jacob in Canaan, they told him the story of all that happened to them, saying, “The governor of Egypt spoke harshly to us and accused us of being spies. We told him, ‘We are not spies but honest men. We’re twelve brothers, sons of our father. Our youngest remained with our father in the land of Canaan, and one is no more.’ Then the man, the governor of Egypt, demanded, ‘By this test, I will discern if you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers with me, take the grain you need for your families, and be on your way. Return to me with your youngest brother, then I’ll know you are not spies, but men of integrity. Then I’ll release your brother back to you, and you’ll be free to trade in the land.’ ” As they each emptied their sacks of grain, each man found his money inside his sack! When they and their father saw their money returned to them, they were frightened. Their father Jacob said to his sons, “You have taken away my children! First, Joseph is gone, and now, Simeon! And now, you want to take Benjamin from me! Everything is against me!” Then Reuben said, “Father, you may put my two sons to death if I fail to bring Benjamin back to you! Trust me—I will bring him back!” But Jacob replied, “I can’t let my son Benjamin go with you. For his brother is dead, and of Rachel’s sons, he alone is left. If he were to meet with disaster on your journey, I would die of grief! You will send my white hair and broken heart sorrowing down to the grave!”