Genesis 44

1 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.

And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.

2 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.

And in the mouth of the younger’s sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.

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

And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses.

4 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?

And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?

5 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.

The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.

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

He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.

7 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.

And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

8 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?

The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver?

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

With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.

10 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.

And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.

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

Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

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

Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

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

Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.

14 And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him.

And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place), and they altogether fell down before him on the ground.

15 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?

And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.

16 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.

And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.

17 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.

Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father.

18 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.

Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,

19 Sir, thou askedst thy servants, saying, Have ye a father or a brother?

My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?

20 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.

And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.

21 And thou saidst to they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.

And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.

22 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.

We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die.

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

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

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

Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

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

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

26 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.

And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man’s face.

27 And thy servant our father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore me two [sons];

Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.

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

One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not.

29 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)

If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (Sheol h7585)

30 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)

Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him, )

31 —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)

And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (Sheol h7585)

32 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.

Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.

33 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.

Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.

34 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.

For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.