Genesis 42:21
Modern Translations
New International Version
They 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."

New Living Translation
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.”

English Standard Version
Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

Berean Study Bible
Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

New American Standard Bible
Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; for that reason this distress has happened to us.”

NASB 1995
Then they said to one another, "Truly we are 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 upon us."

NASB 1977
Then they said to one another, “Truly we are 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 upon us.”

Amplified Bible
And they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty regarding our brother [Joseph], because we saw the distress and anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us [to let him go], yet we would not listen [to his cry]; so this distress and anguish has come on us.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then they said to each other, "Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us."

Contemporary English Version
and said to one another, "We're being punished because of Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in, but we refused to help him when he begged us. That's why these terrible things are happening."

Good News Translation
and said to one another, "Yes, now we are suffering the consequences of what we did to our brother; we saw the great trouble he was in when he begged for help, but we would not listen. That is why we are in this trouble now."

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They said to each other, "We're surely being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw how troubled he was when he pleaded with us for mercy, but we wouldn't listen. That's why we're in trouble now."

International Standard Version
"We're all guilty because of what we did to our brother!" they told each other. "We kept on watching his suffering while he pleaded with us! We're in this mess because we wouldn't listen!"

NET Bible
They said to one other, "Surely we're being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!"
Classic Translations
King James Bible
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

New King James Version
Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.”

King James 2000 Bible
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

New Heart English Bible
Then they said to one another, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we wouldn?t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us."

World English Bible
They said one to another, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn't listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us."

American King James Version
And they said one to another, We are truly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he sought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come on us.

American Standard Version
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

A Faithful Version
And they said one to another, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he begged us, and we would not hear. Therefore, this distress has come upon us."

Darby Bible Translation
Then they said one to another, We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he besought us, and we did not hearken; therefore this distress is come upon us.

English Revised Version
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

Early Modern
Geneva Bible of 1587
And they said one to another, We haue verily sinned against our brother, in that we sawe the anguish of his soule, when he besought vs, and we would not heare him: therefore is this trouble come vpon vs.

Bishops' Bible of 1568
And one sayde to another: we haue veryly sinned agaynst our brother, in that we sawe the anguishe of his soule, when he besought vs, and we woulde not heare him: and therfore is this trouble come vpon vs.

Coverdale Bible of 1535
And they sayde one to another: This haue we deserued against oure brother, in that we sawe the anguysh of his soule, whan he besought vs, and we wolde not heare him: therfore cometh now this trouble vpon vs.

Tyndale Bible of 1526
Than they sayde one to a nother: we haue verely synned agaynst oure brother in that we sawe the anguysh of his soull when he besought us and wold not heare him: therfore is this troubyll come apon us.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they say to one another, “Truly we [are] guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul, in his making supplication to us, and we did not listen: therefore this distress has come on us.”

Young's Literal Translation
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.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will say, a man to his brother, Truly we guilty concerning our brother, when we saw the straits of his soul in his entreating us, and we heard him not; for this, these straits are come to us.

Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they talked one to another: We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguished of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is this affliction come upon us.

Catholic Public Domain Version
and they spoke to one another: “We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he begged us and we would not listen. For that reason, this tribulation has come upon us.”

Translations from Aramaic
Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they said, each man to his brothers, “Truly we are condemned concerning our brother, for we did see the anxiety of his soul when he was making supplication to us and we did not listen to him, because of this, this distress has come upon us.”

Lamsa Bible
And they said one to another, Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not listen to him; therefore is this distress come upon us.

OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they said one to another: 'We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And each said to his brother, Yes, indeed, for we are in fault concerning our brother, when we disregarded the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we hearkened not to him; and therefore has this affliction come upon us.
















Genesis 42:20
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