Genesis 44

1 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;

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying: 'Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

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

And put my goblet, the silver goblet, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.' And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

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

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

4 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?

And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward: 'Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them: Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

5 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.

Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.'

6 So he overtook them and said these words to them.

And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words.

7 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:

And they said unto him: 'Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

8 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?

Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan; how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

9 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.

With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.'

10 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.

And he said: 'Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.'

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

Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

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

And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack.

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

And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

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

And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground.

15 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?

And Joseph said unto them: 'What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?'

16 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.

And Judah said: 'What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.'

17 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.

And he said: 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.'

18 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.

Then Judah came near unto him, and said: 'Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

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

My lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a brother?

20 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.

And we said unto my lord: We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

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

And thou saidst unto thy servants: Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

22 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.

And we said unto my lord: The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

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

And thou saidst unto thy servants: Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

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

And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

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

And our father said: Go again, buy us a little food.

26 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.

And we said: We cannot go down; if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

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

And thy servant my father said unto us: Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;

28 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,

and the one went out from me, and I said: Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since;

29 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)

and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

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

Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul;

31 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)

it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

32 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.

For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

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

Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

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

For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.'