Parallel Bible results for "genesis 42"

Genesis 42

The Message Bible MSG

1 When Jacob learned that there was food in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you sit around here and look at one another?

2 I've heard that there is food in Egypt. Go down there and buy some so that we can survive and not starve to death."

3 Ten of Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt to get food.

4 Jacob didn't send Joseph's brother Benjamin with them; he was afraid that something bad might happen to him.

5 So Israel's sons joined everyone else that was going to Egypt to buy food, for Canaan, too, was hit hard by the famine.

6 Joseph was running the country; he was the one who gave out rations to all the people. When Joseph's brothers arrived, they treated him with honor, bowing to him.

7 Joseph recognized them immediately, but treated them as strangers and spoke roughly to them. He said, "Where do you come from?" "From Canaan," they said. "We've come to buy food."

8 Joseph knew who they were, but they didn't know who he was.

9 Joseph, remembering the dreams he had dreamed of them, said, "You're spies. You've come to look for our weak spots."

10 "No, master," they said. "We've only come to buy food.

11 We're all the sons of the same man; we're honest men; we'd never think of spying."

12 He said, "No. You're spies. You've come to look for our weak spots."

13 They said, "There were twelve of us brothers - sons of the same father in the country of Canaan. The youngest is with our father, and one is no more."

14 But Joseph said, "It's just as I said, you're spies.

15 This is how I'll test you. As Pharaoh lives, you're not going to leave this place until your younger brother comes here.

16 Send one of you to get your brother while the rest of you stay here in jail. We'll see if you're telling the truth or not. As Pharaoh lives, I say you're spies."

17 Then he threw them into jail for three days.

18 On the third day, Joseph spoke to them. "Do this and you'll live. I'm a God-fearing man.

19 If you're as honest as you say you are, one of your brothers will stay here in jail while the rest of you take the food back to your hungry families.

20 But you have to bring your youngest brother back to me, confirming the truth of your speech - and not one of you will die." They agreed.

21 Then they started talking among themselves. "Now we're paying for what we did to our brother - we saw how terrified he was when he was begging us for mercy. We wouldn't listen to him and now we're the ones in trouble."

22 Reuben broke in. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't hurt the boy'? But no, you wouldn't listen. And now we're paying for his murder."

23 Joseph had been using an interpreter, so they didn't know that Joseph was understanding every word.

24 Joseph turned away from them and cried. When he was able to speak again, he took Simeon and had him tied up, making a prisoner of him while they all watched.

25 Then Joseph ordered that their sacks be filled with grain, that their money be put back in each sack, and that they be given rations for the road. That was all done for them.

26 They loaded their food supplies on their donkeys and set off.

27 When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get food for his donkey; there at the mouth of his bag was his money

28 He called out to his brothers, "My money has been returned; it's right here in my bag!" They were puzzled - and frightened. "What's God doing to us?"

29 When they got back to their father Jacob, back in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened, saying,

30 "The man who runs the country spoke to us roughly and accused us of being spies.

31 We told him, 'We are honest men and in no way spies.

32 There were twelve of us brothers, sons of one father; one is gone and the youngest is with our father in Canaan.'

33 "But the master of the country said, 'Leave one of your brothers with me, take food for your starving families, and go.

34 Bring your youngest brother back to me, proving that you're honest men and not spies. And then I'll give your brother back to you and you'll be free to come and go in this country.'"

35 As they were emptying their food sacks, each man came on his purse of money. On seeing their money, they and their father were upset.

36 Their father said to them, "You're taking everything I've got! Joseph's gone, Simeon's gone, and now you want to take Benjamin. If you have your way, I'll be left with nothing."

37 Reuben spoke up: "I'll put my two sons in your hands as hostages. If I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill them. Trust me with Benjamin; I'll bring him back."

38 But Jacob refused. "My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead and he is all I have left. If something bad happens to him on the road, you'll put my gray, sorrowing head in the grave."

New Living Translation NLT

1 When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another?

2 I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.”

3 So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

4 But Jacob wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, for fear some harm might come to him.

5 So Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well.

6 Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground.

7 Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food.”

8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him.

9 And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”

10 “No, my lord!” they exclaimed. “Your servants have simply come to buy food.

11 We are all brothers—members of the same family. We are honest men, sir! We are not spies!”

12 “Yes, you are!” Joseph insisted. “You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”

13 “Sir,” they said, “there are actually twelve of us. We, your servants, are all brothers, sons of a man living in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is back there with our father right now, and one of our brothers is no longer with us.”

14 But Joseph insisted, “As I said, you are spies!

15 This is how I will test your story. I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you will never leave Egypt unless your youngest brother comes here!

16 One of you must go and get your brother. I’ll keep the rest of you here in prison. Then we’ll find out whether or not your story is true. By the life of Pharaoh, if it turns out that you don’t have a younger brother, then I’ll know you are spies.”

17 So Joseph put them all in prison for three days.

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “I am a God-fearing man. If you do as I say, you will live.

19 If you really are honest men, choose one of your brothers to remain in prison. The rest of you may go home with grain for your starving families.

20 But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. This will prove that you are telling the truth, and you will not die.” To this they agreed.

21 Speaking among themselves, they said, “Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.”

22 “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?” Reuben asked. “But you wouldn’t listen. And now we have to answer for his blood!”

23 Of course, they didn’t know that Joseph understood them, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter.

24 Now he turned away from them and began to weep. When he regained his composure, he spoke to them again. Then he chose Simeon from among them and had him tied up right before their eyes.

25 Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, but he also gave secret instructions to return each brother’s payment at the top of his sack. He also gave them supplies for their journey home.

26 So the brothers loaded their donkeys with the grain and headed for home.

27 But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get grain for his donkey, he found his money in the top of his sack.

28 “Look!” he exclaimed to his brothers. “My money has been returned; it’s here in my sack!” Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, “What has God done to us?”

29 When the brothers came to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them.

30 “The man who is governor of the land spoke very harshly to us,” they told him. “He accused us of being spies scouting the land.

31 But we said, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One brother is no longer with us, and the youngest is at home with our father in the land of Canaan.’

33 “Then the man who is governor of the land told us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your starving families and go on home.

34 But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know you are honest men and not spies. Then I will give you back your brother, and you may trade freely in the land.’”

35 As they emptied out their sacks, there in each man’s sack was the bag of money he had paid for the grain! The brothers and their father were terrified when they saw the bags of money.

36 Jacob exclaimed, “You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!”

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. I’ll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back.”

38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave. ”