JACOB SENDS HIS SONS INTO EGYPT.

§ 27. Jacob sends his Sons into Egypt to buy Food.

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In the land of Canaan also the scarcity began to be felt. And Jacob said to his sons, "Why are you so thoughtless? I have heard that there is corn in Egypt.

Go down thither, and buy for us what we require, that we be not consumed with want." So ten of Joseph's brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

But Jacob kept Benjamin, the youngest son, at home; for he said: Lest perhaps he take any harm on the journey."

They accomplished their journey into Egypt without accident; and as they found that Joseph was governor in the land, and that no corn could be sold to the people except by his direction, they were obliged to come and address themselves to him. When they were brought into his presence, they all bowed them

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selves before him: and Joseph knew his brethren again, and the dreams that he had dreamed when a boy came back into his mind. Not to betray to them that he knew who they were, he spoke roughly to them, and asked "Whence they came." They answered: "From the land of Canaan, to buy food, that we may live." Joseph answered: "Ye are spies; you are come to see the weak parts of the land." They said: "It is not so, my lord; but thy servants are come to buy food. We are all sons of one man; we are peaceable men. Neither are thy servants bent upon any evil." Joseph replied: "It is not so; but ye are come to spy out the unfenced parts of the land." They replied: "Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; the youngest is with our father, the other is not living." Joseph answered: "This is the very thing I said. Ye are spies: by this I will presently prove you; for, by the life of the king, you shall not depart hence until your youngest brother is come. Send one of yourselves to fetch him; and the rest of you shall stay in prison until what you have said be proved, whether it is true or false; or else, by the life of Pharao, you are spies." And Joseph put them all in prison for three days.

§ 28. Joseph's Brethren return Home.

Joseph's intention was to bring his brethren to a sense of sorrow for the cruelty they had formerly shown to himself, and not to revenge himself. When the three days were over, he caused them all to be brought out

of the prison, and said to them: "Do as I have said, and you shall live; for I fear God. If you be peaceable men, let one of your brethren be bound in prison; and go ye your ways, carry the corn that you have bought to your houses, and bring your youngest brother to me, that I may find your words to be true, and that you may not die." They did as Joseph directed. On their way they talked to one another, and said: "We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear; therefore is this affliction come upon us." Ruben reminded them: "Did not I say to you, do the boy no harm? and ye would not hear me. Behold, his blood is required from us!"

They did not know that Joseph understood them, as he spoke to them by an interpreter. When Joseph heard them speak in this way to one another, he turned, and went away to hide his tears; but presently, wishing to put the truth of their sorrow to the test, he mastered his feelings and returned into the audienceroom, to give orders that Simeon should be bound in their presence, and that the corn they had come to buy should be supplied to them, each man's money being placed in the mouth of his sack. He ordered also that provisions for the journey should be given to them; after which they set out on their return home.

On their way home, one of them opened his sack to give his beast provender, and was surprised to find his money in the mouth of the sack. When the rest saw it, they were equally astonished and troubled, and they

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said one to another, "What is this that God hath done to us?"

And when they came to their father Jacob, they told him that the governor of Egypt had taken them for spies, had put them into prison for three days, and at last had kept their brother Simeon a prisoner, as surety for their promise that they would bring their youngest brother Benjamin with them when they next came to buy food in Egypt. Their father Jacob said: "You have made me to be without children; Joseph is not living, Simeon is kept in bonds, Benjamin you will take away; all these evils are fallen upon me. My son shall not My son shall not go down with you; his brother is dead, and he is left alone; if any mischief befal him in the land to which you go, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."

§ 29. Benjamin's Journey into Egypt.

In the meantime the famine began to be still heavier in the land of Canaan; and when they had eaten up all the corn they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: "Go again, and buy us a little food." Juda answered: "The man declared to us with an oath, saying, You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you. If, therefore, thou send him with us, we will set out together and buy necessaries for thee. But if not, we will not go; for the man declared, saying, You shall not see my face without your youngest brother. Send the boy with me, and if I bring him not safe back, I will be