1 Now when Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, Why do you keep looking at one another?
2 And he said, I have now heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there, and buy grain for us from there, that we may live and not die.
3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, Perhaps harm may befall him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who also came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was the governor over the land; it was he who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
7 And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke harshly with them. And he said to them, Where have you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy grain for food.
8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.
10 And they said to him, No, my lord; rather your servants have come to buy grain for food.
11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men; your servants have never been spies.
12 And he said to them, No; but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.
13 And they said, We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and at this moment the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.
14 But Joseph said to them, It is just as I spoke to you, saying, You are spies.
15 By this you shall be tested: As Pharaoh lives, you shall not go away from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Send one of you to get your brother, while you remain bound, that your words may be tested whether there is truth in you. And if not, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.
17 And he put them all together in custody three days.
18 And Joseph said to them on the third day, Do this and live, for I fear God.
19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain bound in your place of custody; and the rest of you go, carry grain for the famine of your households.
20 And bring your youngest brother to me, that your words may be verified; and you will not die. And they did so.
21 And they said one to another, We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come to us.
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the child? But you would not listen. So now also his blood is required.
23 And they did not know that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.