^42:18On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say³³ and you will live,³⁴ for I fear God.³⁵^42:19If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison³⁶ while the rest of you go³⁷ and take grain back for your hungry families.³⁸^42:20But you must bring³⁹ your youngest brother to me. Then⁴⁰ your words will be verified⁴¹ and you will not die.” They did as he said.⁴²

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Footnotes

33 Heb “Do this.”
34 After the preceding imperative, the imperative with vav (ו) can, as here, indicate logical sequence.
35 For I fear God. Joseph brings God into the picture to awaken his brothers’ consciences. The godly person cares about the welfare of people, whether they live or die. So he will send grain back, but keep one of them in Egypt. This action contrasts with their crime of selling their brother into slavery.
36 Heb “bound in the house of your prison.”
37 The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal.
38 Heb “[for] the hunger of your households.”
39 The imperfect here has an injunctive force.
40 After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.
41 The Niphal form of the verb has the sense of “to be faithful; to be sure; to be reliable.” Joseph will test his brothers to see if their words are true.
42 Heb “and they did so.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live. 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. Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this.

NLTNew Living Translation

On the third day Joseph said to them, “I am a God-fearing man. If you do as I say, you will live. If you really are honest men, choose one of your brothers to remain in prison. The rest of you may go home with grain for your starving families. But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. This will prove that you are telling the truth, and you will not die.” To this they agreed.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live; I fear God. If you are honest, let one of your brothers be kept in prison where you are now being kept, but the rest of you go, carry grain for the famine for your households. You must bring your youngest brother to me, and then your words will be confirmed and you will not die.” And they did so.

KJV 1900King James Version

And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

Public Domain