8. When Joseph recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him,
9. he was reminded of the dreams he had about them. He said to them: “You are spies. You have come to see the weak points of the land.”
10. “No, my lord,” they replied. “On the contrary, your servants have come to buy food.
11. All of us are sons of the same man. We are honest men; your servants have never been spies.”
12. But he answered them: “Not so! It is the weak points of the land that you have come to see.”
13. “We your servants,” they said, “are twelve brothers, sons of a certain man in Canaan; but the youngest one is at present with our father, and the other one is no more.”
14. “It is just as I said,” Joseph persisted; “you are spies.
15. This is how you shall be tested: I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you shall not leave here unless your youngest brother comes here.
16. So send one of your number to get your brother, while the rest of you stay here under arrest. Thus will your words be tested for their truth; if they are untrue, as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
17. With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days.
18. On the third day Joseph said to them: “Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.
19. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in this prison, while the rest of you go and take home grain for your starving families.
20. But you must bring me your youngest brother. Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die.” To this they agreed.
21. To one another, however, they said: “Truly we are being punished because of our brother. We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen. That is why this anguish has now come upon us.”
22. Then Reuben responded, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do no wrong to the boy’? But you would not listen! Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”
23. They did not know, of course, that Joseph understood what they said, since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
24. But turning away from them, he wept. When he was able to speak to them again, he took Simeon from among them and bound him before their eyes.