Genesis 42 NIV NLT Parallel

◄ Genesis 42 ►

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New International Version

New Living Translation

1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?"

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

2He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die."

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

3Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

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

4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him.

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

5So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.

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

6Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

6Since 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.

7As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food."

7Joseph 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.”

8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

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

9Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

9And 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 answered. "Your servants have come to buy food.

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

11We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies."

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

12"No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

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

13But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more."

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.”

14Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies!

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

15And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

15This 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!

16Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!"

16One 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.”

17And he put them all in custody for three days.

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

18On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God:

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

19If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households.

19If 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.

20But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die." This they proceeded to do.

20But 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.

21They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come on us."

21Speaking 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.”

22Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood."

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!”

23They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.

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

24He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.

24Now 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.

25Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them,

25Joseph 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.

26they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

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

27At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack.

27But 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"My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?"

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?”

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

29When 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 lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land.

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.

31But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies.

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

32We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.'

32We 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 lord over the land said to us, 'This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go.

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.

34But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.'"

34But 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.’”

35As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened.

35As 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.

36Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!"

36Jacob 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!”

37Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back."

37Then 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.”

38But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow."

38But 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. ”

New International Version (NIV)

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