17. So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days.
18. On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God — do this and you will live.
19. If you are honest, let one of you be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
20. Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this.
21. Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”
22. But Reuben replied: “Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood! ”
23. They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
24. He turned away from them and wept. Then he turned back and spoke to them. He took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.
25. Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man’s money to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out.
26. They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.
27. At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his money there at the top of the bag.
28. He said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us? ”
29. When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: