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 Joseph instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Fill their sacks with grain, as much as they are able to hold. And place each one’s money at the top of the 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.
But place my silver bowl, and the price that he gave for the wheat, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest.” And so it was done.
3 At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
And when morning arose, they were sent away with their donkeys.
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 now they had departed from the city and had set out a short distance. Then Joseph, sending for the steward of his house, said: “Rise up and pursue the men. And when you have overtaken them, say: ‘Why have you returned evil for good?
5 Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
The cup that you have stolen, it is that from which my lord drinks, and in which he is accustomed to discern signs. You have done a very sinful thing.’”
6 When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.
He did as he had been ordered. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them according to the order.
7 “Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
And they responded: “Why does our lord speak in this way, as though your servants had committed such a shameful act?
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?
The money, which we found at the top of our sacks, we carried back to you from the land of Canaan. So in what way does it follow that we would steal, from the house of your lord, gold or silver?
9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”
Whichever of your servants will be found to have what you seek, may he die, and we shall be the servants of my 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 to them: “Let it be according to your verdict. With whomever it will be found, let him be my servant, but you will be unharmed.”
11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
And so, they quickly placed their sacks down to the ground, and each one was opened.
12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
And when he had searched, beginning with the oldest, all the way to the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.
13 Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
But they, tearing their garments and burdening their donkeys again, returned 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.
And Judah, first among his brothers, entered to Joseph (for he had not yet departed from the place) and together they all fell down before him to the ground.
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 he said to them: “Why would you choose to act in this way? Could you be ignorant that there is no one like me in the knowledge of discerning signs?”
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 to him, “What could we answer to my lord? And what would we be able to say, or to justly claim? God has discovered the iniquity of your servants. See, we have all become servants to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was 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.”
Joseph responded: “Far be it from me that I should act in this way. He who stole the cup, he will be my servant. But you may go away free 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.
Then Judah, approaching closer, said confidently: “I beg you, my lord, let your servant speak a word in your ears, and do not be angry with your servant. For you are next to Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
My lord, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have 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 answered you, my lord: ‘There is our father, an old man, and a young boy, who was born in his old age. His brother of the same womb has died, and he alone is left to his mother and father, who truly love him tenderly.’
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, ‘Bring him to me, and I will set my eyes on him.’
22 So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’
We suggested to my lord: ‘The boy is not able to leave his father. For if he sends him away, 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.’
And you said to your servants: ‘Unless your youngest brother arrives with you, you will not see my face any more.’
24 Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.
Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.
25 Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’
And our father said: ‘Return and buy us a little wheat.’
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 to him: ‘We cannot go. If our youngest brother descends with us, we will set out together. Otherwise, in his absence, we do not dare to see the face of the man.’
27 And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
To which he responded: ‘You know that my wife conceived twice by me.
28 When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.
One went out, and you said, “A beast devoured him.” And since then, he has not appeared.
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 you take this one also, and anything happens to him on the way, you will lead my grey hairs down with grief 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,
Therefore, if I would have gone to your servant, our father, with the boy not present, (though his life depends upon the life of him)
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)
and if he were to see that he is not with us, he would die, and your servants will lead his grey hairs down 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.’
Let me be your very own servant, for I accepted this one into my trust, and I promised, saying: ‘Unless I lead him back, I will be guilty of a sin against my father for all time.’
33 Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.
And so I, your servant, will remain in place of the boy, in ministry to my lord, and then let the boy go up 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 I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress my father.”
