Genesis 42 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down thither and buy [grain] for us from thence, in order that we may live, and not die.
2 He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die.”
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy [grain] out of Egypt.
3 Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest mischief may befall him.
4 But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”
5 So the sons of Israel came to buy [grain] among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
5 The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 And Joseph, he was the governor over the land — he it was that sold [the corn] to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came and bowed down to him, the face to the earth.
6 Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.
7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and knew them; but he made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them, and said to them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.
7 Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they did not know him.
8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamt of them; and he said to them, Ye are spies: to see the exposed places of the land ye are come.
9 Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and 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; but to buy food are thy servants come.
10 They said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
11 We are all one man's sons; we are honest: thy servants are not spies.
11 We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
12 And he said to them, No; but to see the exposed places of the land are ye come.
12 He said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”
13 And they said, Thy servants were twelve brethren, sons of one man, in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
13 They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more.”
14 And Joseph said to them, That is it that I have spoken to you, saying, Ye are spies.
14 Joseph said to them, “It is like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’
15 By this ye shall be put to the proof: as Pharaoh lives, ye shall not go forth hence, unless your youngest brother come hither!
15 By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Send one of you, that he may fetch your brother, but ye shall be imprisoned, and your words shall be put to the proof, whether the truth is in you; and if not, as Pharaoh lives, ye are spies.
16 Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.”
17 And he put them in custody three days.
17 He put them all together into custody for three days.
18 And Joseph said to them the third day, This do, that ye may live: I fear God.
18 Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God.
19 If ye are honest, let one of your brethren remain bound in the house of your prison, but go ye, carry grain for the hunger of your households;
19 If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.
20 and bring your youngest brother to me, in order that your words be verified, and that ye may not die. And they did so.
20 Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die.” They did so.
21 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.
21 They said to one 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.”
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the lad? But ye did not hearken; and now behold, his blood also is required.
22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”
23 And they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them.
23 They didn’t know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24 And he turned away from them, and wept. And he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
24 He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way. And thus did they to them.
25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them.
26 And they loaded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.
26 They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.
27 And one of them opened his sack to give his ass food in the inn, and saw his money, and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28 And he said to his brethren, My money is returned [to me], and behold, it is even in my sack. And their heart failed [them], and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this [that] God has done to us?
28 He said to his brothers, “My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!” Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 And they came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,
29 They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
30 The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and treated us as spies of the land.
30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 And we said to him, We are honest; we are not spies:
31 We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no spies.
32 we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, Hereby shall I know that ye are honest: leave one of your brethren with me, and take [for] the hunger of your households, and go,
33 The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way.
34 and bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that ye are not spies, but are honest. Your brother will I give up to you; and ye may trade in the land.
34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”
35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man had his bundle of money in his sack; and they saw their bundles of money, they and their father, and were afraid.
35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, each man’s bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
36 And Jacob their father said to them, Ye have bereaved me of children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin! All these things are against me.
36 Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”
37 And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not back to thee: give him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”
38 But he said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left; and if mischief should befall him by the way in which ye go, then would ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.
38 He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Joseph
Betrayed and enslaved, he rose to rule Egypt and saved his family from famine.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 37; 39–50
Cross references (34)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Acts 7:12; Joshua 7:10; Exodus 20:18; Genesis 42:2; Exodus 5:19
- 2 Genesis 43:8; Matthew 4:4; Psalm 118:17; Genesis 43:2; Genesis 45:9
- 3 Genesis 42:13; Genesis 42:5
- 4 Genesis 42:38; Genesis 43:29; Genesis 3:22; Genesis 11:4; Genesis 35:16–19
- 5 Genesis 41:57; Genesis 12:10; Acts 7:11; Genesis 26:1; Acts 11:28
- 6 Genesis 41:55–56; Genesis 45:26; Acts 7:10; Genesis 19:1; Genesis 44:14
- 7 Genesis 42:30; Genesis 42:19–20; Genesis 42:14–17; Genesis 42:9–12; Matthew 15:23–26
- 8 Genesis 37:2; John 20:14; John 21:4; Luke 24:16
- 9 Genesis 37:5–9; Exodus 32:35; Genesis 42:34; Judges 1:24; Numbers 13:16–20
- 10 Genesis 37:8; Genesis 27:37; 1 Kings 18:7; Genesis 27:29; Genesis 44:9
- 11 2 Corinthians 6:4; Genesis 42:19; Genesis 42:33–34; John 7:18
- 13 Genesis 37:30; Genesis 44:20; Genesis 42:32; Genesis 43:7; Matthew 2:16
- 14 Matthew 15:21–28; Genesis 42:9–11; Job 13:24; Job 19:11
- 15 1 Samuel 17:55; Genesis 42:16; Genesis 42:30; Matthew 23:16–22; 1 Samuel 1:26
- 16 Genesis 42:11
- 17 Genesis 40:4; Hebrews 12:10; Genesis 40:7; Genesis 41:10; Isaiah 24:22
- 18 Leviticus 25:43; Nehemiah 5:15; Genesis 20:11; Luke 18:2; Luke 18:4
- 19 Genesis 42:26; Genesis 40:3; Isaiah 42:7; Isaiah 42:22; Genesis 42:1–2
- 20 Genesis 42:34; Genesis 43:5; Genesis 44:23; Genesis 42:15; John 2:5
- 21 Hosea 5:15; Genesis 37:23–28; Job 36:8–9; Mark 9:43–45; 1 Kings 17:18
- 22 Psalm 9:12; 1 Kings 2:32; 2 Chronicles 24:22; Genesis 37:21–22; Genesis 9:5–6
- 23 2 Corinthians 5:20; John 16:13–14
- 24 Genesis 43:30; Genesis 43:14; Isaiah 63:9; Genesis 45:14–15; Luke 19:41
- 25 1 Peter 3:9; Romans 12:17–21; Genesis 45:21; Isaiah 55:1; Matthew 5:44
- 27 Exodus 4:24; Genesis 43:21–22; Luke 10:34; Genesis 44:11; Luke 2:7
- 28 Lamentations 3:37; Isaiah 45:7; Song of Songs 5:6; Lamentations 2:17; 1 Kings 10:5
- 30 Genesis 42:7
- 31 Genesis 42:11
- 33 Genesis 42:19–20; Genesis 42:15
- 34 Genesis 34:10; Genesis 34:21; 1 Kings 10:15; Ezekiel 17:4
- 35 Genesis 43:21; Genesis 43:15; Genesis 42:27–28; Genesis 43:12
- 36 Genesis 43:14; Romans 8:31; 1 Samuel 27:1; Matthew 14:31; Romans 8:28
- 37 Genesis 46:9; Micah 6:7; Genesis 43:9; Genesis 44:32–34
- 38 Genesis 37:35; Genesis 42:4; Genesis 37:33; Genesis 42:13; Genesis 35:16–18
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… brethren who detained her for ten days; Jeroboam also, who received the ten sceptres (tribes), and the ten courts of the tabernacle, and the columns of ten cubits [high], and the ten sons of Jacob who were at first sent into Egypt to buy corn, and the ten apostles to whom the Lord appeared after His resurrection,--Thomas being absent,--represented, according …