5. The famine was very bad in Canaan, so there were many people from Canaan who went to Egypt to buy grain. Among them were the sons of Israel.
6. Joseph was the governor of Egypt at the time. He was the one who checked the sale of grain to people who came to Egypt to buy it. Joseph’s brothers came to him and bowed before him.
7. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted like he didn’t know them. He was rude when he spoke to them. He said, “Where do you come from?” The brothers answered, “We have come from the land of Canaan to buy food.”
8. Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not know who he was.
9. Then Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about his brothers. Joseph said to his brothers, “You have not come to buy food! You are spies. You came to learn where we are weak.”
10. But the brothers said to him, “No, sir, we come as your servants. We have come only to buy food.
11. We are all brothers—we all have the same father. We are honest men. We have come only to buy food.”
12. Then Joseph said to them, “No, you have come to spy on us!”
13. And the brothers said, “No, sir, we come as servants from Canaan. We are all brothers, sons of the same father. There were twelve brothers in our family. Our youngest brother is still at home with our father, and the other brother died a long time ago.”
14. But Joseph said to them, “No! I can see that I am right. You are spies.
15. But I will let you prove that you are telling the truth. In the name of Pharaoh, I swear that I will not let you go until your youngest brother comes here.
16. One of you must go back to get your youngest brother while the rest of you stay here in prison. Then we can prove whether you are telling the truth or not. If you are not telling the truth, then by Pharaoh, I swear that you are spies!”
17. Then Joseph put them all in prison for three days.
18. After three days Joseph said to them, “I am a God-fearing man. Do this, and I will let you live.
19. If you are honest men, one of your brothers can stay here in prison, and the others can go and carry grain back to your people.
20. But then you must bring your youngest brother back here to me. Then I will know that you are telling the truth, and you will not have to die.” The brothers agreed to this.
21. They said to each other, “We are being punished for the bad thing we did to our younger brother Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in. He begged us to save him, but we refused to listen. So now we are in trouble.”