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.

And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack.

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 silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said.

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

The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.

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 out of the city, [and] were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and thou shalt overtake them, and say to them, Why have ye returned evil for good?

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

Why have ye stolen my silver cup? is it not this out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; ye have accomplished evil in that which ye have done.

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

And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.

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 our lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word.

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?

If we brought back to thee out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of thy lord?

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

With whomsoever of thy servants thou shalt find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord.

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, Now then it shall be as ye say; with whomsoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and ye shall be clear.

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

And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack.

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

And he searched, beginning from the eldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

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

And they rent their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.

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

And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground 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 to them, What is this thing that ye have done? know ye not that a man such as I can surely divine?

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 Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? whereas God has discovered the unrighteousness of thy servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been found.

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.”

And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do ye go up with safety to your father.

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.

And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let thy servant speak a word before thee, and be not angry with thy servant, for thou art next to Pharao.

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

Sir, thou askedst thy servants, saying, Have ye 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 a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him.

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

And thou saidst to they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of 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, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die.

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

But thou saidst to they servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, ye shall not see my face again.

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

And it came to pass, when we went up to thy servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.

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

And our father said, Go again, and buy 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, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us.

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

And thy servant our father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore 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.

and one is departed from me; and ye said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.

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 then ye take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall ye bring down my old age with sorrow to the grave. (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,

Now then, if I should go in to they servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this [lad's] life)

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)

—it shall even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, [that] he will die, and thy servants will bring down the old age of thy servant, and our father, with sorrow to the grave. (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 thy servant has received the boy [in charge] from his father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, and place him before thee, I shall be guilty towards my father 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.

Now then I will remain a servant with thee instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up with his brethren.

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 shall I go up to my father, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall my father.