Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, he told his sons, "Why do you look at each other?" He had heard that there was grain in Egypt and said, "Go down there and buy some for us."

Jacob's ten sons went down to Egypt to buy grain. But he did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with them, because Jacob was afraid something might happen to him.

The sons of Israel arrived in Egypt to purchase grain because the famine had struck their land in Canaan. They came among those who were there for the same reason and bowed down before Joseph, who was now a powerful man in charge of selling grain to everyone in the land. His brothers didn't recognize him, but he knew them.

Joseph saw his brothers from afar, but made himself appear unfamiliar to them and spoke harshly, saying, "Where do you come from?" They replied, "We've come from Canaan to buy food." Joseph was aware of who they were, but they did not know it yet.

He remembered the dreams he had about them and said, "You are spies. You have come to see the nakedness of our land." His brothers denied this, saying, "No, we're just here to buy food," but Joseph knew better.

"You are one man's sons," they explained. "We are true men. Your servants are no spies. We came to buy grain for our families, and we are honest men." But Joseph was not convinced. He accused them of being spies again, saying that by the life of Pharaoh, they would not leave Egypt until their youngest brother, Benjamin, joined them.

Joseph put his brothers in jail for three days, instructing them to send one of their brothers back to fetch Benjamin before he would release them and let them buy grain. If they were truthful men, Joseph said, one of their brothers could stay behind while the others went back home with food for their families and brought Benjamin to him.

Joseph also warned his brothers that if they failed to bring Benjamin as promised, they would die. His brothers acknowledged their guilt in not listening to Joseph when he was begging them to spare Benjamin's life and how this distress had come upon them because of it.

Reuben spoke up, reminding them that he had cautioned against doing wrong to their brother, but they refused to listen. They did not realize that Joseph understood them, as he communicated through an interpreter. He wept, then returned to speak with them, taking Simeon from among them and binding him before their eyes.

Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the brothers' sacks with grain, put each man's money back in their sack, and give them food for their journey. They loaded their donkeys and departed from there.

As they traveled, one of the brothers opened his sack to feed his donkey and found that his money was still there at the top of the sack. He exclaimed, "My money is restored! Behold, it's in my sack!" But then he and his brothers were overcome with fear and confusion, wondering what God had done to them.

When they arrived back home in Canaan, Jacob, their father, was deeply troubled by the news of how the ruler of Egypt treated them. They told him everything that happened: "The man who rules over the land spoke harshly to us and took our brother Simeon as a hostage."

They explained that there were twelve brothers, all sons of one father, but one of their brothers was dead, and Benjamin remained with their father in Canaan. The ruler of Egypt accused them of being spies and demanded that they leave one of their brothers behind before he would let them buy grain for the famine.

The ruler told them to bring Benjamin back with them, promising that if they did so, he would deliver Simeon to them and allow them to trade in the land. But Jacob was hesitant, remembering that his son Joseph had gone missing while on a trip and now another son, Simeon, was being held as a hostage.

As they began to empty their sacks, they were amazed to find that each man's bundle of money was still in their sack. When both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they became terrified.

Jacob questioned his sons about what had happened: "You've taken away my children one by one – Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone – and now you want to take Benjamin from me?" Reuben spoke up on behalf of his family, offering to bring Benjamin back safely or die trying. He promised that if anything bad happened to Benjamin while he was with them, Jacob's gray hairs would descend to the grave weighed down by sorrow.