that we may live, and
not die."

And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt. But
Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he
said, "Lest peradventure mischief befall him."

And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came: for the
famine was in the land of Canaan. And Joseph was the governor over the
land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's
brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to
the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made
himself strange to them, and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto
them, "Whence come ye?"

And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food." And Joseph knew
his brethren, but they knew not him.

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said
unto them, "Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are
come."

And they said unto him, "Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy
servants come. We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy
servants are no spies."

{112}

And he said to them, "Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are
come."

And they said, "We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one
man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with
our father, and one is not."

And Joseph said unto them, "That is it that I spoke unto you, saying,
'Ye are spies': hereby ye shall be proved: 'by the life of Pharaoh ye
shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be
bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you:
or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies." And he put them
all together into prison three days.

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 your
prison house; but go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: and
bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified,
and ye shall not die."

And they did so. And they said one to another, "We are verily guilty
concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when
he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come
upon us."

And Reuben answered them, saying, "Spoke I not unto you, saying, 'Do
not sin against the child'; and ye would not hear? therefore also,
behold, his blood is requi