Genesis 42

vayyar ya'aqov ki yesh-shever bemitsrayim vayyomer ya'aqov levanayw lammah titra'u

When Jacob saw that there were food rations to be had in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another?

vayyomer hinneh shamati ki yesh-shever bemitsrayim redu-shammah veshivru-lanu misham venikhyeh velo namut

Now I hear,” he went on, “that there are rations to be had in Egypt. Go down and procure rations for us there, that we may live and not die.”

vayyeredu akhe-yosef asarah lishbor bar mimmitsrayim

So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to get grain rations in Egypt;

ve'et-binyamin akhi yosef lo-shalakh ya'aqov et-ekhayw ki amar pen-yiqra'ennu ason

for Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, since he feared that he might meet with disaster.

vayyavo'u bene yisra'el lishbor betokh habba'im ki-hayah hara'av be'erets kena'an

Thus the sons of Israel were among those who came to procure rations, for the famine extended to the land of Canaan.

veyosef hu hashallit al-ha'arets hu hammashbir lekhol-am ha'arets vayyavo'u akhe yosef vayyishtakhavu-lo appayim aretsah

Now Joseph was the vizier of the land; it was he who dispensed rations to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed low to him, with their faces to the ground.

vayyar yosef et-ekhayw vayyakkirem vayyitnakker alehem vayedabber ittam qashot vayyomer alehem me'ayin batem vayyomeru me'erets kena'an lishbor-okhel

When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them; but he acted like a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them. He asked them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to procure food.”

vayyakker yosef et-ekhayw vehem lo hikkiruhu

For though Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

vayyizkor yosef et hakhalomot asher khalam lahem vayyomer alehem meraggelim attem lirot et-ervat ha'arets batem

Recalling the dreams that he had dreamed about them, Joseph said to them, “You are spies, you have come to see the land in its nakedness.”

vayyomeru elayw lo adoni va'avadekha ba'u lishbor-okhel

But they said to him, “No, my lord! Truly, your servants have come to procure food.

kullanu bene ish-ekhad nakhenu kenim anakhnu lo-hayu avadekha meraggelim

We are all of us sons of the same man; we are being honest; your servants have never been spies!”

vayyomer alehem lo ki-ervat ha'arets batem lirot

And he said to them, “No, you have come to see the land in its nakedness!”

vayyomeru shenem asar avadekha akhim anakhnu bene ish-ekhad be'erets kena'an vehinneh haqqaton et-avinu hayyom veha'ekhad enennu

And they replied, “We your servants were twelve brothers, sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest, however, is now with our father, and one is no more.”

vayyomer alehem yosef hu asher dibbarti alekhem lemor meraggelim attem

But Joseph said to them, “It is just as I have told you: You are spies!

bezot tibbakhenu khe faroh im-tetse'u mizzeh ki im-bevo akhikhem haqqaton hennah

By this you shall be put to the test: unless your youngest brother comes here, by Pharaoh, you shall not depart from this place!

shilkhu mikkem ekhad veyiqqakh et-akhikhem ve'attem he'aseru veyibbakhanu divrekhem ha'emet ittekhem ve'im-lo khe faroh ki meraggelim attem

Let one of you go and bring your brother, while the rest of you remain confined, that your words may be put to the test whether there is truth in you. Else, by Pharaoh, you are nothing but spies!”

vayye'esof otam el-mishmar sheloshet yamim

And he confined them in the guardhouse for three days.

vayyomer alehem yosef bayyom hashelishi zot asu vikhyu et-ha'elohim ani yare

On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you shall live, for I fear God.

im-kenim attem akhikhem ekhad ye'aser bevet mishmarkhem ve'attem lekhu havi'u shever ra'avon battekhem

If you are being honest, let one of you brothers be held in your place of detention, while the rest of you go and take home rations for your starving households;

ve'et-akhikhem haqqaton tavi'u elay veye'amenu divrekhem velo tamutu vayya'asu-khen

but you must bring me your youngest brother, that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” And they did accordingly.

vayyomeru ish el-akhiv aval ashemim anakhnu al-akhinu asher ra'inu tsarat nafsho behitkhanno elenu velo shama'enu al-ken ba'ah elenu hatsarah hazzot

They said to one another, “Alas, we are being punished on account of our brother, because we looked on at his anguish, yet paid no heed as he pleaded with us. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

vayya'an re'uven otam lemor halo amarti alekhem lemor al-tekhetu vayyeled velo shematem vegam-damo hinneh nidrash

Then Reuben spoke up and said to them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do no wrong to the boy’? But you paid no heed. Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”

vehem lo yade'u ki shomea yosef ki hammelits benotam

They did not know that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between him and them.

vayyissov me'alehem vayyevk vayyashov alehem vayedabber alehem vayyiqqakh me'ittam et-shimon vayye'esor oto le'enehem

He turned away from them and wept. But he came back to them and spoke to them; and he took Simeon from among them and had him bound before their eyes.

vayetsav yosef vayemalu et-kelehem bar ulehashiv kaspehem ish el-saqqo velatet lahem tsedah laddarekh vayya'as lahem ken

Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, return each one’s money to his sack, and give them provisions for the journey; and this was done for them.

vayyisu et-shivram al-khamorehem vayyelekhu misham

So they loaded their donkeys with the rations and departed from there.

vayyiftakh ha'ekhad et-saqqo latet mispo lakhamoro bammalon vayyar et-kaspo vehinneh-hu befi amtakhto

As one of them was opening his sack to give feed to his donkey at the night encampment, he saw his money right there at the mouth of his bag.

vayyomer el-ekhayw hushav kaspi vegam hinneh ve'amtakhti vayyetse libbam vayyekherdu ish el-akhiv lemor mah-zzot asah elohim lanu

And he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It is here in my bag!” Their hearts sank; and, trembling, they turned to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

vayyavo'u el-ya'aqov avihem artsah kena'an vayyaggidu lo et kol-haqqorot otam lemor

When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had befallen them, saying,

dibber ha'ish adone ha'arets ittanu qashot vayyitten otanu kimraggelim et-ha'arets

“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the land.

vannomer elayw kenim anakhenu lo hayinu meraggelim

We said to him, ‘We are being honest; we have never been spies!

shenem-asar anakhnu akhim bene avinu ha'ekhad enennu vehaqqaton hayyom et-avinu be'erets kena'an

There were twelve of us brothers, sons by the same father; but one is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’

vayyomer elenu ha'ish adone ha'arets bezot eda ki khenim attem akhikhem ha'ekhad hannikhu itti ve'et-ra'avon battekhem qekhu valekhu

But the man—who is lord of the land—said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are being honest: leave one of your brothers with me, and take something for your starving households and be off.

vehavi'u et-akhikhem haqqaton elay ve'ede'ah ki lo meraggelim attem ki khenim attem et-akhikhem etten lakhem ve'et-ha'arets tiskharu

And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know that you are not spies, that you are being honest. I will then restore your brother to you, and you shall be free to move about in the land.’”

vayehi hem meriqim saqqehem vehinneh-ish tseror-kaspo besaqqo vayyiru et-tserorot kaspehem hemmah va'avihem vayyira'u

As they were emptying their sacks, there, in each one’s sack, was his money-bag! When they and their father saw their money-bags, they were dismayed.

vayyomer alehem ya'aqov avihem oti shikkaltem yosef enennu veshimon enennu ve'et-binyamin tiqqakhu alay hayu khullanah

Their father Jacob said to them, “It is always me that you bereave: Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you would take away Benjamin. These things always happen to me!”

vayyomer re'uven el-aviv lemor et-shene vanay tamit im-lo avi'ennu elekha tenah oto al-yadi va'ani ashivennu elekha

Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

vayyomer lo-yered beni immakhem ki-akhiv met vehu levaddo nishar uqera'ahu ason badderekh asher telekhu-vah vehoradtem et-sevati beyagon she'olah

But he said, “My son must not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If he meets with disaster on the journey you are taking, you will send my white head down to Sheol in grief.”