1 雅各见埃及有粮食， 就对儿子们说： "你们为什么彼此对望呢？" 2 他又说： "我听说埃及有粮食， 你们下到那里去， 给我们买些粮食， 使我们可以活下去， 不至饿死。" 3 于是， 约瑟的十个哥哥就下去了， 要从埃及买五谷。 4 但雅各并没有打发约瑟的弟弟便雅悯与哥哥们同去， 因为雅各说： "恐怕他会遇到灾害。" 5 以色列的众子也在前来买粮的人群中， 因为迦南地也有饥荒。 6 当时治理埃及地的官长是约瑟， 卖粮给那地所有的人民的就是他。所以， 约瑟的哥哥们来俯伏在地向他下拜。 7 约瑟看见他的哥哥们， 就认得他们， 可是他装作陌生人， 对他们说严厉的话， 问他们： "你们是哪里来的？"他们回答： "我们是迦南地来买粮食的。" 8 约瑟认得他的哥哥们， 他们却不认得他。 9 约瑟想起从前所作关于他们的两个梦， 就对他们说： "你们是间谍， 是来侦察本地的虚实。" 10 他们对他说： "我主啊， 不是这样， 仆人们实在是来买粮食的。 11 我们都是一个人的儿子， 是诚实人； 仆人们并不是间谍。" 12 约瑟对他们说： "不是的， 你们实在是来侦察本地的虚实。" 13 他们说： "仆人们本是兄弟十二人， 我们都是迦南地一个人的儿子。最小的现在与我们的父亲在一起， 还有一个不在了。" 14 约瑟对他们说： "我刚才对你们说： ‘你们是间谍。’这话实在不错。 15 我要这样试试你们： 我指着法老的性命起誓， 如果你们最小的弟弟不到这里来， 你们就决不得离开这里。 16 你们可以派你们中间一个人回去， 把你们的弟弟带来； 其余的人都要囚禁起来， 好证明你们的话真实不真实。如果不真实， 我指着法老的性命起誓， 你们就是间谍。" 17 于是， 约瑟把他们收在监房里三天。 18 到了第三天， 约瑟对他们说： "我是敬畏 神的， 你们要这样作， 就可以活着； 19 如果你们是诚实人， 就叫你们兄弟中一个人囚禁在监里， 你们其余的人可以带着粮食回去， 解救你们家人的饥荒。 20 然后把你们最小的弟弟带到我这里来， 这样， 就可以证明你们的话是真实的， 你们就不必死了。"他们就照样作了。 21 他们彼此说： "我们在对待弟弟的事上实在有罪。他向我们求情的时候， 我们看见他心里的痛苦， 却不肯听他， 所以这次苦难临到我们身上了。" 22 流本回答他们， 说： "我不是对你们说过： ‘不要伤害那孩子’吗？可是你们不肯听， 现在流他血的罪要向我们追讨。" 23 他们不知道约瑟听得明白， 因为他们中间有人当传译。 24 约瑟转身离开他们， 哭了一阵， 又回到他们那里， 与他们说话。然后从他们中间拉出西缅来， 在他们眼前把他捆绑起来。 25 约瑟吩咐人把五谷装满他们的袋， 把他们的银子放回各人的布袋里； 又给他们路上用的食物。一切就照样办了。 26 他们把粮食驮在他们的驴上， 离开那里去了。 27 到了住宿的地方， 他们其中的一个人打开了布袋， 要拿饲料喂驴的时候， 才发现自己的银子还在袋口那里。 28 于是对兄弟们说： "我的银子都归还了。你们看， 就在我的布袋里。"他们就心里惊慌， 彼此战战兢兢地说： " 神向我们作的是什么呢？" 29 他们回到迦南地他们的父亲雅各那里， 把他们遭遇的一切事都告诉了他， 说： 30 "那地的主人对我们说了一些严厉的话， 把我们当作侦察那地的间谍。 31 我们对他说： ‘我们是诚实人， 并不是间谍。 32 我们本是兄弟十二人， 都是一个父亲的儿子； 有一个不在了， 最小的现在与我们的父亲一起在迦南地。’ 33 那地的主人对我们说： ‘我用这个办法就可以知道你们是不是诚实人： 你们兄弟中要留下一人在我这里， 其余的人可以带着粮食回去， 解救你们家人的饥荒。 34 然后把你们最小的弟弟带到我这里来， 我就知道你们不是间谍， 而是诚实人了。这样， 我就把你们的兄弟交还给你们， 你们也可以在这地自由来往。’" 35 后来他们倒布袋的时候， 不料各人的银包仍然在各人的布袋里。他们和他们的父亲看见了银包， 就都惧怕起来。 36 他们的父亲雅各对他们说： "你们总是使我丧失儿子： 约瑟没有了， 西缅也没有了， 你们还要把便雅悯带走； 每一件事都是针对我。" 37 流本对他父亲说： "如果我不把他带回来给你， 你可以杀死我的两个儿子； 只管把他交给我吧， 我必把他带回来给你。" 38 雅各说： "我的儿子不可与你们一同下去， 因为他的哥哥死了， 只剩下他一个； 如果他在你们所走的路上遇到不幸， 你们就使我这白发老人愁愁苦苦地下阴间去了。"

1 And Jacob seeth that there is corn in Egypt, and Jacob saith to his sons, `Why do you look at each other?`2 he saith also, `Lo, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt, go down thither, and buy for us from thence, and we live and do not die;`3 and the ten brethren of Joseph go down to buy corn in Egypt,4 and Benjamin, Joseph`s brother, Jacob hath not sent with his brethren, for he said, `Lest mischief meet him.`5 And the sons of Israel come to buy in the midst of those coming, for the famine hath been in the land of Canaan,6 and Joseph is the ruler over the land, he who is selling to all the people of the land, and Joseph`s brethren come and bow themselves to him -- face to the earth.7 And Joseph seeth his brethren, and discerneth them, and maketh himself strange unto them, and speaketh with them sharp things, and saith unto them, `From whence have ye come?` and they say, `From the land of Canaan -- to buy food.`8 And Joseph discerneth his brethren, but they have not discerned him,9 and Joseph remembereth the dreams which he dreamed of them, and saith unto them, `Ye [are] spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye have come.`10 And they say unto him, `No, my lord, but thy servants have come to buy food;11 we [are] all of us sons of one man, we [are] right men; thy servants have not been spies;`12 and he saith unto them, `No, but the nakedness of the land ye have come to see;`13 and they say, `Thy servants [are] twelve brethren; we [are] sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and lo, the young one [is] with our father to-day, and the one is not.`14 And Joseph saith unto them, `This [is] that which I have spoken unto you, saying, Ye [are] spies,15 by this ye are proved: Pharaoh liveth! if ye go out from this -- except by your young brother coming hither;16 send one of you, and let him bring your brother, and ye, remain ye bound, and let your words be proved, whether truth be with you: and if not -- Pharaoh liveth! surely ye [are] spies;`17 and he removeth them unto charge three days.18 And Joseph saith unto them on the third day, `This do and live; God I fear!19 if ye [are] right men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your ward, and ye, go, carry in corn [for] the famine of your houses,20 and your young brother ye bring unto me, and your words are established, and ye die not;` and they do so.21 And they say one unto another, `Verily we [are] guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul, in his making supplication unto us, and we did not hearken: therefore hath this distress come upon us.`22 And Reuben answereth them, saying, `Spake I not unto you, saying, Sin not against the lad? and ye hearkened not; and his blood also, lo, it is required.`23 And they have not known that Joseph understandeth, for the interpreter [is] between them;24 and he turneth round from them, and weepeth, and turneth back unto them, and speaketh unto them, and taketh from them Simeon, and bindeth him before their eyes.25 And Joseph commandeth, and they fill their vessels [with] corn, also to put back the money of each unto his sack, and to give to them provision for the way; and one doth to them so.26 And they lift up their corn upon their asses, and go from thence,27 and the one openeth his sack to give provender to his ass at a lodging-place, and he seeth his money, and lo, it [is] in the mouth of his bag,28 and he saith unto his brethren, `My money hath been put back, and also, lo, in my bag:` and their heart goeth out, and they tremble, one to another saying, `What [is] this God hath done to us!`29 And they come in unto Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and they declare to him all the things meeting them, saying,30 `The man, the lord of the land, hath spoken with us sharp things, and maketh us as spies of the land;31 and we say unto him, We [are] right men, we have not been spies,32 we [are] twelve brethren, sons of our father, the one is not, and the young one [is] to-day with our father in the land of Canaan.33 `And the man, the lord of the land, saith unto us, By this I know that ye [are] right men -- one of your brethren leave with me, and [for] the famine of your houses take ye and go,34 and bring your young brother unto me, and I know that ye [are] not spies, but ye [are] right men; your brother I give to you, and ye trade with the land.`35 And it cometh to pass, they are emptying their sacks, and lo, the bundle of each man`s silver [is] in his sack, and they see their bundles of silver, they and their father, and are afraid;36 and Jacob their father saith unto them, `Me ye have bereaved; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and Benjamin ye take -- against me have been all these.`37 And Reuben speaketh unto his father, saying, `My two sons thou dost put to death, if I bring him not in unto thee; give him into my hand, and I -- I bring him back unto thee;`38 and he saith, `My son doth not go down with you, for his brother [is] dead, and he by himself is left; when mischief hath met him in the way in which ye go, then ye have brought down my grey hairs in sorrow to sheol.`