JOSEPH'S BROTHERS

Joseph remembered the dreams he had about them, and said to them, You're spies! You've come to see the weakness of the land. They replied, No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. We are all the sons of one man, we are honest men, your servants aren't spies. Joseph repeated himself, No, to see the weakness of the land is why you're here. They told Joseph, Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest stayed home with our father, and one has died.

Joseph said to them, Prove that you aren't spies by bringing your youngest brother here. One of you will go and get him and the rest will stay in prison until they return. He put all of them together in jail for three days. On the third day he said to them, Do this and live, because I respect God. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be held in prison. Go take corn to your houses, but bring your youngest brother back to me, then you will prove your innocence and you will not die.

In their minds, they were remembering what they did to Joseph and knew that it was coming back to haunt them. Thinking that Joseph could not understand them because of the interpreter, they said to one another, We are so guilty about what we did to Joseph. We saw the anguish in his soul when he pleaded with us and we wouldn't listen. That's why this is happening. Reuben said, I warned you not to sin against him, but you wouldn't listen, so now we're paying for it.

Joseph turned his back to them so they couldn't see his face, and wept. Then he faced them again and tied Simeon up in front of them all. He gave orders to his servants to fill their sacks with corn and put every man's money back in his sack along with food for the way.