Genesis 44

1 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.

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;

2 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.

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

3 And when morning arose, they were sent away with their donkeys.

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

4 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?

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?

5 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.’”

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.

6 He did as he had been ordered. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them according to the order.

So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 And they responded: “Why does our lord speak in this way, as though your servants had committed such a shameful act?

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:

8 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?

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?

9 Whichever of your servants will be found to have what you seek, may he die, and we shall be the servants of my lord.”

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.

10 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.”

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.

11 And so, they quickly placed their sacks down to the ground, and each one was opened.

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

12 And when he had searched, beginning with the oldest, all the way to the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

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

13 But they, tearing their garments and burdening their donkeys again, returned to the town.

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

14 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.

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

15 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?”

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?

16 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.”

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.

17 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.”

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.

18 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.

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.

19 My lord, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

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

20 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.’

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.

21 And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me, and I will set my eyes on him.’

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

22 We suggested to my lord: ‘The boy is not able to leave his father. For if he sends him away, he will die.’

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.

23 And you said to your servants: ‘Unless your youngest brother arrives with you, you will not see my face any more.’

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

24 Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.

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

25 And our father said: ‘Return and buy us a little wheat.’

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

26 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.’

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.

27 To which he responded: ‘You know that my wife conceived twice by me.

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

28 One went out, and you said, “A beast devoured him.” And since then, he has not appeared.

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,

29 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)

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)

30 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)

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

31 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)

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)

32 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.’

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.

33 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.

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

34 For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress my father.”

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