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 he commands him who [is] over his house, saying, “Fill the bags of the men [with] food, as they are able to carry, and put the money of each 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 my cup, the silver cup, you put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his grain-money”; and he does according to the word of Joseph which he has spoken.
3 At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
The morning is bright, and the men have been sent away, they and 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?
they have gone out of the city—they have not gone far off—and Joseph has said to him who [is] over his house, “Rise, pursue after the men; and you have overtaken them, and you have said to them: Why have you repaid evil for good?
5 Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
Is this not that with which my lord drinks? And he observes diligently with it; you have done evil [in] that which you have done.”
6 When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.
And he overtakes them, and speaks to them these words,
7 “Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
and they say to him, “Why does my lord speak according to these words? Far be it from your 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?
behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back to you from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of your lord silver or gold?
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 your servants it is found, he has died, and we also are to my lord for 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 says, “Now also, according to your words, so it [is]; he with whom it is found becomes my servant, and you are acquitted”;
11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
and they hurry and take down each his bag to the earth, and each opens his bag;
12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
and he searches—at the eldest he has begun, and at the youngest he has completed—and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;
13 Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
and they tear their garments, and each loads his donkey, and they return 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 Judah and his brothers come to the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall to the earth 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 says to them, “What [is] this deed that you have done? Have you not known that a man like me diligently observes?”
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 says, “What do we say to my lord? What do we speak? And how do we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we [are] servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand 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 he says, “Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup has been found, he becomes my servant; and you, go up in peace 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 Judah comes near to him and says, “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let your anger burn against your servant—for you are as Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
My lord has asked his servants, saying, Do you have a father or 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 say to my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one; and his brother died, and he is left alone of his mother, and his father has loved him.
21 Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’
And you say to your servants, Bring him down to me, and I set my eye on 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 say to my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he has left his father, then he has died;
23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
and you say to your servants, If your young brother does not come down with you, you do not add to see my face.
24 Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.
And it comes to pass, that we have come up to your servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;
25 Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’
and our father says, Return, buy for 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 say, We are not able to go down; if our young brother is with us, then we have gone down; for we are not able to see the man’s face, and our young brother not with us.
27 And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
And your servant my father says to us, You have known that my wife bore two to me,
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 goes out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn—torn! And I have not seen him since;
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)
when you have taken also this from my presence, and harm has met him, then you have brought down my grey hairs with evil to Sheol. (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,
And now, at my coming to your servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),
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)
then it has come to pass, when he sees that the youth is not, that he has died, and your servants have brought down the grey hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol; (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 your servant obtained the youth by guarantee to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you—then I have sinned against my father all the days.
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 now, please let your servant abide instead of the youth [as] a servant to my lord, and the youth goes 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 how do I go up to my father, and the youth not with me? Lest I look on the evil which finds my father.”
