Genesis 42:19

42:19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison ¹  while the rest of you go ²  and take grain back for your hungry families. ³ 

Genesis 44:10

44:10 He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment! ⁴  The one who has it will become my slave, ⁵  but the rest of ⁶  you will go free.” ⁷ 

Genesis 50:20

50:20 As for you, you meant to harm me, ⁸  but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. ⁹ 

[42:19]  ¹ tn Heb “bound in the house of your prison.”

[42:19]  ² tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal.

[42:19]  ³ tn Heb “[for] the hunger of your households.”

[44:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “Also now, according to your words, so it is.” As the next statement indicates, this does mean that he will do exactly as they say. He does agree with them the culprit should be punished, but not as harshly as they suggest. Furthermore, the innocent parties will not be punished.

[44:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”

[44:10]  ⁶ tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[44:10]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it.

[50:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “you devised against me evil.”

[50:20]  ⁸ tn Heb “God devised it for good in order to do, like this day, to preserve alive a great nation.”