Genesis 44

1 Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.

Then he gave orders to the servant who was over his house, saying, Put as much food into the men's bags as will go into them, and put every man's money in the mouth of his bag;

2 Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said.

3 At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.

And at dawn the men, with their asses, were sent away.

4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?

5 Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”

Is not this the cup from which my lord takes wine and by which he gets knowledge of the future? Truly, you have done evil.

6 When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.

So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 “Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.

And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:

8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”

If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.

10 “As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”

And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible.

11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.

13 Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.

14 When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was still there: and they went down on their faces before him.

15 “What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”

And Joseph said, What is this thing which you have done? had you no thought that such a man as I would have power to see what is secret?

16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”

And Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.

17 But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”

Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace.

18 Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself.

Then Judah came near him, and said, Let your servant say a word in my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be burning against your servant: for you are in the place of Pharaoh to us.

19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

My lord said to his servants, Have you a father or a brother?

20 And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.

21 Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’

And you said to your servants, Let him come down to me with you, so that I may see him.

22 So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’

And we said to my lord, His father will not let him go; for if he went away his father would come to his death.

23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come with you, you will not see my face again.

24 Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.

And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.

25 Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’

And our father said, Go again and get us a little food.

26 But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’

And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.

27 And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

And our father said to us, You have knowledge that my wife gave me two sons;

28 When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.

The one went away from me, and I said, Truly he has come to a violent death; and from that time I have not seen him,

29 Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)

If now you take this one from me, and some evil comes to him, you will make my grey head go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

30 So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life,

If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,

31 sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. (Sheol h7585)

When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

32 Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’

For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

33 Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.

So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.

34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”

For how may I go back to my father without the boy, and see the evil which will come on my father?