As soon as Joseph saw them, he realized that they were his brothers! But he pretended he didn’t know them and spoke to them harshly: “Where do you come from?”
“From the land of Canaan,” they answered, “and we’re here to buy food.”
Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they had no clue that it was Joseph speaking to them. Then at once, Joseph remembered the dreams he had about them bowing down before him! Pausing, he said to them, “You are spies! You’ve come to see where our land is weak!”
His brothers replied, “No, master; we’ve come to buy food. We, your servants, are honest men; we’d never think of spying! We’re blood brothers, sons of one father.”
Joseph interrupted, “No! You are spies who have come here to find our weakness!”
“We are your servants,” they insisted. “We were twelve brothers, our youngest brother remained behind with our father, and one brother—well, he is no more.”
Joseph said to them, “It’s just as I said; you are spies! And here is how I’ll test you: unless your younger brother comes and presents himself here before me, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not depart from here! One of you must go and bring me your brother, while the rest of you will remain here in confinement. This way I will test your words to see if the story you have told me is true. If not, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” He placed them all in prison together for three days.
On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do as I say and you will live. I am a man who respects God. If you are as honest as you say you are, then I will keep just one of your brothers here in confinement while the rest of you carry grain home for your starving families. You must return with your youngest brother so that I may verify your story, and that you may not die.” So they agreed to do so.
With Joseph standing there, they began to speak among themselves, saying, “Look what’s happened to us! We’re being punished for what we did to Joseph long ago. We heard his cries of anguish and saw the agony of his soul when he begged us for mercy, but we turned a deaf ear. That’s why all this trouble has come upon us!”
Then Reuben spoke up, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! So now we’re paying the price for his murder!” They had no clue that Joseph understood every word, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter.
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