Genesis chapter .xlij.
¶ When Iacob saw that there was corn to be sold in Egypt, he said unto his sons: why are ye negligent?
behold, I have heard that there is corn to be sold in Egypt. Get you thither and buy us corn from thence, that we may live and not die.
So went Ioseph's ten brethren down to buy corn in Egypt,
for Ben Iamin Ioseph's brother would not Iacob send with his other brethren: for he said: some misfortune might happen him.
And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among other that came, for there was dearth also in the land of Canaan.
And Ioseph was governor in the land, and sold corn to all the people of the land. And his brethren came, and fell flat on the ground before him.
¶ When Ioseph saw his brethren, he knew them: But made strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them saying: Whence come ye? and they said: out of the land of Canaan, to buy vitaille.
Ioseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
And Ioseph remembered his dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them: ye are spies, and to see where the land is weak is your coming.
And they said unto him: nay, my lord: but to buy vitaille thy servants are come.
We are all one man's sons, and mean truly, and thy servants are no spies.
And he said unto them: nay verily, but even to see where the land is weak is your coming.
And they said: we thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is yet with our father, and one no man woteth where he is.
Ioseph said unto them, that is it that I said unto you, that ye are surely spies.
Here by ye shall be proved. For by the life of Pharao, ye shall not go hence, until your youngest brother be come hither.
Send therefore one of you and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be in prison in the mean season. And thereby shall your words be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharao, ye are but spies.
And he put them in ward three days.
And Ioseph said unto the third day: This do and live, for I fear God.
If ye mean no hurt, let one of your brethren be bound in the prison, and go ye and bring the necessary food unto your households,
and bring your youngest brother unto me: that your words may be believed, and that ye die not; And they did so.
¶ Then they said one to another: we have verily sinned against our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and would not hear him: therefore is this trouble come upon us.
Ruben answered them saying: said I not unto you that ye should not sin against the lad? but ye would not hear; And now verily see, his blood is required.
They were not aware that Ioseph understood them, for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
And he turned from them and wept, and then turned to them again and communed with them, and took out Simeon from among them and bound him before their eyes,
and commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to put every man's money in his sack, and to give them vitaille to spend by the way. And so it was done to them.
And they laded their asses with the corn and departed thence.
And as one of them opened his sack, for to give his ass provender in the Inn, he spied his money in his sack's mouth.
And he said unto his brethren: my money is restored me again, and is even in my sack's mouth. Then their hearts failed them, and were astonied and said one to another: how cometh it that God dealeth thus with us?
¶ And they came unto Iacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened them saying:
The lord of the land spake roughly to us, and took us for spies to search the country.
And we said unto him: we mean truly and are no spies.
We be twelve brethren sons of our father, one is away, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.
And the lord of the country said unto us: hereby shall I know if ye mean truly: leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food necessary for your households and get you away,
and bring your youngest brother unto me; And thereby shall I know that ye are no spies, but mean truly: So will I deliver you your brother again, and ye shall occupy in the land.
And as they emptied their sacks, 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 Iacob their father said unto them: Me have ye robbed of my children: Ioseph is away, and Simeon is away, and ye will take Ben Iamin away. All these things fall upon me.
Ruben answered his father saying: Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee again. Deliver him therefore to my hand, and I will bring him to thee again:
And he said: my son shall not go down with you. For his brother is dead, and he is left alone. Moreover some misfortune might happen upon him by the way which ye go. And so should ye bring my gray head with sorrow unto the grave.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.