²⁹When they came to their father Jacob in Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: ³⁰“The governor of Egypt spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying against his country. ³¹‘We are not spies,’ we answered, ‘we are honest men. ³²We were twelve brothers in all, sons of the same father. One brother is dead, and the youngest is still in Canaan with our father.’ ³³The man answered, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men: one of you will stay with me; the rest will take corn for your starving families and leave. ³⁴Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but honest men; I will give your brother back to you, and you can stay here and trade.’ ”

³⁵Then when they emptied out their sacks, every one of them found his bag of money; and when they saw the money, they and their father Jacob were afraid. ³⁶Their father said to them, “Do you want to make me lose all my children? Joseph is gone; Simeon is gone; and now you want to take away Benjamin. I am the one who suffers!”

³⁷Reuben said to his father, “If I do not bring Benjamin back to you, you can kill my two sons. Put him in my care, and I will bring him back.”

³⁸But Jacob said, “My son cannot go with you; his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. Something might happen to him on the way. I am an old man, and the sorrow you would cause me would kill me.”

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