¹⁴But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies. ¹⁵By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. ¹⁶Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” ¹⁷And he put them all together in custody for three days.

¹⁸On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, ^vfor I fear God: ¹⁹if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry ^wgrain for the famine of your households, ²⁰and ^xbring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. ²¹Then they said to one another, ^y“In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” ²²And Reuben answered them, ^z“Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now ^athere comes a reckoning for his blood.” ²³They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. ²⁴Then he turned away from them and ^bwept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

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Cross references

v Lev. 25:43; Neh. 5:15
wver. 33
xver. 34; ch. 43:5; 44:23
y[Job 36:8, 9]; See ch. 37:23–28
zch. 37:21
ach. 9:5; 2 Chr. 24:22; [1 Kgs. 2:32; Ps. 9:12; Luke 11:50, 51]
bch. 43:30