KJV ORIGINAL
And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'What if Joseph hates us now and pays us back for all the terrible things we did to him?'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The brothers are worried that without their father's protection, Joseph will finally take revenge on them for selling him into slavery years earlier.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs after Jacob (Israel) has died in Egypt, where the family had been living under Joseph's protection during a severe famine. Joseph's brothers had sold him into slavery about 39 years earlier out of jealousy, but he had risen to become second-in-command in Egypt. Now with their father gone, they fear Joseph's true feelings toward them might emerge.
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