Genesis 42:2
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
The words are spoken in Canaan during a severe famine, when the family's store of food is nearly exhausted and they must obtain fresh supplies to keep their households alive. Want and starvation stare them in the face, and the sons are troubled and perplexed about the future, speaking despondingly about how they will provide food for their families. Jacob has heard that there is corn in Egypt, for God had given warning in a dream seven years before the famine, and in response Joseph had arranged for food to be stored and the king of Egypt had laid up large supplies for the seven years of famine to follow. People from all countries are now journeying to Egypt to buy corn from that reserve.
Jacob therefore directs his sons to go down to Egypt and buy grain there for the family, that they may live and not die of starvation. That journey brings the brothers into the presence of Joseph, whom they do not recognize, and begins the test that leads them to reflect on their cruelty toward him.