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[1]And Ya'akov afterward heard that there was grain in Egypt, and he called unto his sons to go to Egypt to buy grain, for upon them also did the famine prevail, and he called unto his sons, saying,
[2]Behold I hear that there is grain in Egypt, and all the people of the land go there to purchase, now therefore why will you show yourselves satisfied before all the earth? go you also down to Egypt and buy us a little grain among those that come there, that we may not die.
[3]And the sons of Ya'akov hearkened to the voice of their father, and they rose up to go down to Egypt in order to buy grain among the rest that came there.
[4]And Ya'akov their father commanded them, saying, When you come into the city do not enter together in one gate, on account of the inhabitants of the land.
[5]And the sons of Ya'akov went forth and they went to Egypt, and the sons of Ya'akov did all as their father had commanded them, and Ya'akov did not send Benyamin, for he said, Lest an accident might befall him on the road like his brother; and ten of Ya'akov's sons went forth.
[6]And while the sons of Ya'akov were going on the road, they repented of what they had done to Yosef, and they spoke to each other, saying, We know that our brother Yosef went down to Egypt, and now we will seek him where we go, and if we find him we will take him from his lord for a ransom, and if not, by force, and we will die for him.
[7]And the sons of Ya'akov hearkened to this thing and strengthened themselves on account of Yosef, to deliver him from the hand of his lord, and the sons of Ya'akov went to Egypt; and when they came near to Egypt they separated from each other, and they came through ten gates of Egypt, and the gate keepers wrote their names on that day, and brought them to Yosef in the evening.
[8]And Yosef read the names from the hand of the gatekeepers of the city, and he found that his brothers had entered at the ten gates of the city, and Yosef at that time commanded that it should be proclaimed throughout the land of Egypt, saying,
[9]Go forth all you store guards, close all the grain stores and let only one remain open, that those who come may purchase from it.
[10]And all the officers of Yosef did so at that time, and they closed all the stores and left only one open.
[11]And Yosef gave the written names of his brothers to him that was set over the open store, and he said unto him, Whosoever shall come to you to buy grain, ask his name, and when men of these names shall come before you, seize them and send them, and they did so.
[12]And when the sons of Ya'akov came into the city, they joined together in the city to seek Yosef before they bought themselves grain.
[13]And they went to the walls of the harlots, and they sought Yosef in the walls of the harlots for three days, for they thought that Yosef would come in the walls of the harlots, for Yosef was very comely and well favored, and the sons of Ya'akov sought Yosef for three days, and they could not find him.
[14]And the man who was set over the open store sought for those names which Yosef had given him, and he did not find them.
[15]And he sent to Yosef, saying, These three days have passed, and those men whose names you did give unto me have not come; and Yosef sent servants to seek the men in all Egypt, and to bring them before Yosef.
[16]And Yosef's servants went and came into Egypt and could not find them, and went to Goshen and they were not there, and then went to the city of Rameses and could not find them.
[17]And Yosef continued to send sixteen servants to seek his brothers, and they went and spread themselves in the four corners of the city, and four of the servants went into the house of the harlots, and they found the ten men there seeking their brother.
[18]And those four men took them and brought them before him, and they bowed down to him to the ground, and Yosef was sitting upon his throne in his temple, clothed with princely garments, and upon his head was a large crown of gold, and all the mighty men were sitting around him.
[19]And the sons of Ya'akov saw Yosef, and his figure and comeliness and dignity of countenance seemed wonderful in their eyes, and they again bowed down to him to the ground.
[20]And Yosef saw his brothers, and he knew them, but they knew him not, for Yosef was very great in their eyes, therefore they knew him not.
[21]And Yosef spoke to them, saying, From where come you? and they all answered and said, Your servants have come from the land of Kanaan to buy grain, for the famine prevails throughout the earth, and your servants heard that there was grain in Egypt, so they have come among the other comers to buy grain for their support.
[22]And Yosef answered them, saying, If you have come to purchase as you say, why do you come through ten gates of the city? it can only be that you have come to spy through the land.
[23]And they all together answered Yosef, and said, Not so my lord, we are right, your servants are not spies, but we have come to buy grain, for your servants are all brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Kanaan, and our father commanded us, saying, When you come to the city do not enter together at one gate on account of the inhabitants of the land.
[24]And Yosef again answered them and said, That is the thing which I spoke unto you, you have come to spy through the land, therefore you all came through ten gates of the city; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.
[25]Surely every one that comes to buy grain goeth his way, and you are already three days in the land, and what do you do in the walls of harlots in which you have been for these three days? surely spies do like unto these things.
[26]And they said unto Yosef, Far be it from our lord to speak thus, for we are twelve brothers, the sons of our father Ya'akov, in the land of Kanaan, the son of Yitz'chak, the son of Avraham, the Hebrew, and behold the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Kanaan, and one is not, for he was lost from us, and we thought perhaps he might be in this land, so we are seeking him throughout the land, and have come even to the houses of harlots to seek him there.
[27]And Yosef said unto them, And have you then sought him throughout the earth, that there only remained Egypt for you to seek him in? And what also should your brother do in the houses of harlots, although he were in Egypt? have you not said, That you are from the sons of Yitz'chak, the son of Avraham, and what shall the sons of Ya'akov do then in the houses of harlots?
[28]And they said unto him, Because we heard that Yishmaelites stole him from us, and it was told unto us that they sold him in Egypt, and your servant, our brother, is very comely and well favored, so we thought he would surely be in the houses of harlots, therefore your servants went there to seek him and give ransom for him.
[29]And Yosef still answered them, saying, Surely you speak falsely and utter lies, to say of yourselves that you are the sons of Avraham; as Pharaoh lives you are spies, therefore have you come to the houses of harlots that you should not be known. [29b] And they said to him again, No my lord, for as we were going all your servants there sought us, and we separated like that which he spoke to my master.
[30]And Yosef said unto them, Behold if you find him, and his lord requires of you a great price, will you give it for him? and they said, It shall be given.
[31]And he said unto them, And if his lord will not consent to part with him for a great price, what will you do unto him on his account? and they answered him, saying, If he will not give him unto us we will slay him, and take our brother and go away.
[32]And Yosef said unto them, That is the thing which I have spoken to you; you are spies, for you are come to slay the inhabitants of the land, for we heard that two of your brothers smote all the inhabitants of Shechem, in the land of Kanaan, on account of your sister, and you now come to do the like in Egypt on account of your brother.
[33]Only hereby shall I know that you are true men; if you will send home one from among you to fetch your youngest brother from your father, and to bring him here unto me, and by doing this thing I will know that you are right.
[34]And Yosef called to seventy of his mighty men, and he said unto them, Take these men and bring them into the ward.
[35]And the mighty men took the ten men, they laid hold of them and put them into the ward, and they were in the ward three days.
[36]And on the third day Yosef had them brought out of the ward, and he said unto them, Do this for yourselves if you be true men, so that you may live, one of your brothers shall be confined in the ward while you go and take home the grain for your house to the land of Kanaan, and fetch your youngest brother, and bring him here unto me, that I may know that you are true men when you do this thing.
[37]And Yosef went out from them and came into the chamber, and wept a great weeping, for his pity was excited for them, and he washed his face, and returned to them again, and he took Shim'on from them and ordered him to be bound, but Shim'on was not willing to be done so, for he was a very powerful man and they could not bind him.
[38]And Yosef called unto his mighty men and seventy valiant men came before him with drawn swords in their hands, and the sons of Ya'akov were terrified at them.
[39]And Yosef said unto them, Seize this man and confine him in prison until his brothers come to him, and Yosef's valiant men hastened and they all laid hold of Shim'on to bind him, and Shim'on gave a loud and terrible shriek and the cry was heard at a distance.
[40]And all the valiant men of Yosef were terrified at the sound of the shriek, that they fell upon their faces, and they were greatly afraid and fled.
[41]And also all the men that were with Yosef fled, for they were greatly afraid of their lives, and only Yosef and M'nasheh his son remained there, and M'nasheh the son of Yosef saw the strength of Shim'on, and he was exceedingly wroth.
[42]And M'nasheh the son of Yosef rose up to Shim'on, and M'nasheh smote Shim'on a heavy blow with his fist against the back of his neck, and Shim'on was stilled of his rage.
[43]And M'nasheh laid hold of Shim'on and he seized him violently and he bound him and brought him into the house of confinement, and all the sons of Ya'akov were astonished at the act of the youth.
[44]And Shim'on said unto his brothers, None of you must say that this is the smiting of an Egyptian, but it is the smiting of the house of my father.
[45]And after this Yosef ordered him to be called who was set over the storehouse, to fill their sacks with grain as much as they could carry, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the road, and thus did he unto them.
[46]And Yosef commanded them, saying, Take heed lest you transgress my orders to bring your brother as I have told you, and it shall be when you bring your brother here unto me, then will I know that you are true men, and you shall traffic in the land, and I will restore unto you your brother, and you shall return in peace to your father.
[47]And they all answered and said, According as our lord speaks so will we do, and they bowed down to him to the ground.
[48]And every man lifted his grain upon his ass, and they went out to go to the land of Kanaan to their father; and they came to the inn and Levi spread his sack to give provender to his ass, when he saw and behold his money in full weight was still in his sack.
[49]And the man was greatly afraid, and he said unto his brothers, My money is restored, and lo, it is even in my sack, and the men were greatly afraid, and they said, What is this that Elohim has done unto us?
[50]And they all said, And where is YHWH's kindness with our fathers, with Avraham, Yitz'chak, end Ya'akov, that YHWH has this day delivered us into the hands of the king of Egypt to contrive against us?
[51]And Y'hudah said unto them, Surely we are guilty sinners before YHWH our Elohim in having sold our brother, our own flesh, and wherefore do you say, Where is YHWH's kindness with our fathers?
[52]And Re'uven said unto them, Said I not unto you, do not sin against the lad, and you would not listen to me? now Elohim requires him from us, and how dare you say, Where is YHWH's kindness with our fathers, while you have sinned unto YHWH?
[53]And they tarried over night in that place, and they rose up early in the morning and laded their asses with their grain, and they led them and went on and came to their father's house in the land of Kanaan.
[54]And Ya'akov and his house went out to meet his sons, and Ya'akov saw and behold their brother Shim'on was not with them, and Ya'akov said unto his sons, Where is your brother Shim'on, whom I do not see? and his sons told him all that had befallen them in Egypt.
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