Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

He collected all the food of these seven years in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities - the food grown in the fields outside each city he stored in that city.

Yosef stored grain in quantities like the sand on the seashore, so much that they stopped counting, because it was beyond measure.

Two sons were born to Yosef before the year of famine came; Osnat the daughter of Poti-Fera priest of On bore them to him.

Yosef called the firstborn M'nasheh [causing to forget], "Because God has caused me to forget all the troubles I suffered at the hands of my family."

The second he called Efrayim [fruit], "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortune."

The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt ended;

and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Yosef had said. There was famine in all lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food.

When the whole land of Egypt started feeling the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Yosef, and do what he tells you to do."

The famine was over all the earth, but then Yosef opened all the storehouses and sold food to the Egyptians, since the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

Moreover all countries came to Egypt to Yosef to buy grain, because the famine was severe throughout the earth.

Now Ya'akov saw that there was grain in Egypt; so Ya'akov said to his sons, "Why are you staring at each other?

Look," he said, "I've heard that there's grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us from there, so that we can stay alive and not die!"

Thus Yosef's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt,

except for Binyamin, Yosef's brother. Ya'akov did not send him with his brothers, because he was afraid something might happen to him.

The sons of Isra'el came to buy along with the others that came, since the famine extended to the land of Kena'an.

Yosef was governor over the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. Now when Yosef's brothers came and prostrated themselves before him on the ground,

Yosef saw his brothers and recognized them; but he acted toward them as if he were a stranger and spoke harshly with them. He asked them, "Where are you from?" They answered, "From the land of Kena'an to buy food."

So Yosef recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him.

Remembering the dreams he had had about them, Yosef said to them, "You are spies! You've come to spot our country's weaknesses!"

"No, my lord,"they replied, "your servants have come to buy food.

We're all the sons of one man, we're upright men; your servants aren't spies."

"No," he said to them, "you've come to spy out our country's weaknesses."

They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Kena'an; the youngest stayed with our father, and another one is gone."

"Just as I said,"replied Yosef, "you're spies!

Here's how you can prove you're not lying: as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave here unless your youngest brother comes here.