17 Then he put them in jail for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this, and you will live. I, too, fear God.
19 If you are honest men, you will let one of your brothers stay here in prison. The rest of you will go and take grain back to your starving families.
20 But you must bring me your youngest brother. This will show that you’ve been telling the truth. Then you won’t die.” So they agreed.
21 They said to each other, “We’re surely being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw how troubled he was when he pleaded with us for mercy, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in trouble now.”
22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must pay for this bloodshed.”
23 They didn’t know that Joseph could understand them, because he was speaking through an interpreter.