Genesis 42:29-34

"And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying, The man, the lord of the land, spake roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way; and bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land."

As is characteristic of the Biblical writings, there is here a detailed repetition of facts already known by the reader, but they were repeated for the sake of Jacob. It is interesting that the brothers, who certainly had no certain knowledge that Joseph was dead, nevertheless spoke of him as "is not," deceased. It was the same lie they had told Jacob twenty years earlier, but they had probably told it such a long time that they themselves believed it. Jacob's reaction to their report is recounted in the closing verses of the chapter.