Jacob Hears the News

29Then they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying,

30The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us and treated us as spies of the land.

31And we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have not been spies.’

32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.

33Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest: leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for the famine of your households, and go.’

34Bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you may trade in the land.”

35And as they were emptying their sacks, behold, each man’s bundle of silver was in his sack; and they saw their bundles of silver, they and their father, and they were afraid.

36And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin. All these things have come against me.”

37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hand, and I myself will bring him back to you.”

38But he said, “My son will not go down with you, because his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should happen to him on the journey on which you go, then you would bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”