3. So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain there.
4. But Jacob didn't send Joseph's brother Benjamin with them. He was afraid Benjamin might be harmed.
5. Israel's sons were among the people who went to buy grain. There wasn't enough food in the land of Canaan.
6. Joseph was the governor of the land. He was the one who sold grain to all of its people. When Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
7. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them. But he pretended to be a stranger. He spoke to them in a mean way. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied. "We've come to buy food."
8. Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him.
9. Then Joseph remembered his dreams about them. So he said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the places where our land isn't guarded very well."
10. "No, sir," they answered. "We've come to buy food.
11. All of us are the sons of one man. We're honest men. We aren't spies."
12. "No!" he said to them. "You have come to see the places where our land isn't guarded very well."
13. But they replied, "We were 12 brothers. All of us were the sons of one man. He lives in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is now with our father. And one brother is gone."
14. Joseph said to them, "I still say you are spies!
15. So I'm going to put you to the test. You can be sure that Pharaoh lives. And you can be just as sure that you won't leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. I promise with an oath that you won't leave here.
16. Send one of you back to get your brother. The rest of you will be kept in prison. "I'll put your words to the test. Then we'll find out whether you are telling the truth. You can be sure that Pharaoh lives. And you can be just as sure that if you aren't telling the truth, we'll know that you are spies!"
17. So Joseph kept all of them under guard for three days.
18. On the third day, Joseph spoke to them again. He said, "Do what I say. Then you will live, because I have respect for God.