One of the things that got Joseph in trouble was his dreams, the ones that indicated his brothers and even his parents would bow to him. As the famine spreads across the region and drags on for what Joseph knew would be years, his family was bound to show up sooner or later.

Note: if you read a translation that says corn, or ears of corn in chapter 41, that is not necessarily wrong. Corn used to be a general term for all grain. Maize was indigenous to North America, the Egyptians did not grow what we call corn today.

Genesis 42 

Now when Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons “Why are you looking at each other?” 

2 And he said “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Get down there and buy some for us that we may live and not die.”

3 Joseph’s ten brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

4 But Joseph’s brother Benjamin Jacob did not send with his brothers; for he said “something might happen to him.” 

5 The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Joseph was the governor over the land, and he was the one who sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.

7 And Joseph saw his brothers, and he knew them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly, saying “Where did you come from?” And they said “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

8 Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him.

9 And Joseph remembered the dreams he had about them, and said to them “You are spies and have come  to see the nakedness of the land.”

10 They said “No my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

11 We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men, your servants are not spies”

12 And he said to them “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” .

13 They said “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”

14 Joseph said to them “It is as I spoke to you, you are spies.

15 Here is how you will prove yourselves: By the life of Pharaoh you shall not leave except your youngest brother come here. 

16 One of you go and fetch your brother, and the rest of you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proven, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely your are spies.”

17 And he put them all together into custody for three days.

18 Joseph said to them on the third day “Do this and live; for I fear God. 

19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in the house of your prison: the rest of you go, carry grain to your houses for the famine.

20 But bring your youngest brother to me so your words can be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so.

21 They said to one another “We are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw his distress when he pleaded with us, and we would not listen. That’s why this is happening to us.”

22 Reuben answered them, saying “Did I not say to you ‘Do not sin against the child’ and you would not listen? Now we must give an account for his blood.”

23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

24 He turned himself away from them and wept; and returned to them again, and spoke with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their sacks with grain and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and it was done for them.

26 So they loaded their donkeys with grain and departed from there.

27 As one of them opened his sack to feed his donkey at the inn, he saw his money, right at the top of his sack.

28 And he said to his brothers “My money is restored; it is in my sack. And their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another “What has God done to us?”

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

30 “The man who is the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 And we said to him ‘We are honest men, we are no spies.

32 We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is no more and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’

33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us ‘Here’s how I will know you are honest men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food to your households for the famine, and be gone.

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

35 As they emptied their sacks, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 And their father Jacob said to them “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.”

37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying “Put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you.  Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to you again.”

38 But Jacob said ‘My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if harm should come to him while on your journey, then you would bring down my grey hair to the grave.”