CHAPTER XII.

JACOB'S SONS COME TO BUY CORN IN EGYPT.

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"Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another." "Behold I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die."

"And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, lest peradventure mischief befall him.”

"And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan. And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, from the land of Canaan to buy food."

"And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said

unto them, ye are spies, to see the nakedness of the land ye are come."

"And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons: we are true men; thy servants are no spies. And Joseph said, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come."

"And they said, thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not."

"And Joseph said unto them, that is it that I spoke unto you; saying, ye are spies. Hereby ye shall be proved; by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you; or else by the life of Pharaoh, surely ye are spies. And he put them all together into ward three days."

"And Joseph said unto them, the third day, This do and live, for I fear God: If ye be true men let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison; go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses; But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so."

"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. And Reuben answered them, saying, spoke I not unto you saying, Do not sin against the child, and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required."

"And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spoke unto them by an interpreter: And he turned himself about from them, and wept, and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes."

"Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus did he unto them. And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn,* he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth. And he said unto his brethren, my money is restored; and lo! it is even in my sack; and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, what is this that God hath done unto us?"

"And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, The man who is the lord of the land spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. And we said unto

*To give his ass provender in the inn, is literally correct: the inns, or caravanserais, in the East, are not houses inhabited by persons who provide travellers with food and lodging: they are merely open buildings, with stalls, or recesses enclosing a court, having generally a well of water, with troughs for watering the horses and camels in the centre.

We be

him, we are true men, we are no spies. twelve brethren, sons of one father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your household, and be gone; And bring your youngest brother to me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land."

"And it came to pass, as they emptied their sacks, that behold every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.”

"And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not; and Simeon is not; and ye will take Benjamin away; all these things are against me."

"And Reuben spoke unto his father saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again."

"And Jacob said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."

Chap. xliii." And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of

Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, and buy us a little food."

"And Judah spake unto him saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food; But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down, for the man said unto us, ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you."

"And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had got a brother?"

"And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words; could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?"

"And Judah said to his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for him: of my hand shalt thou require him, if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned the second time."

"And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels; and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds."