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 commanded he him who was over his house saying—Fill the sacks of the men, with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack;

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 my cup—the cup of silver, shalt thou put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his corn-silver. So he did, according to the word of Joseph, which he had spoken.

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

By the time, the morning, was light, the men, had been sent away, they, and their asses.

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?

They themselves, had gone out of the city—they had not gone far, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Rise chase after the men, —so shalt thou overtake them and shalt say unto them, Wherefore have ye requited evil 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 that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby, he himself, doth divine? Ye have done evil in what ye have done.

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 spake unto them these words.

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 unto him, Wherefore should my lord speak such words as these? Far be thy servants, from doing such a thing as this!

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?

Lo! the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan, —how then could we steal out of the house of thy lord, silver or gold?

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.”

With whomsoever of thy servants it can be found, he shall die, —and, we also, will become my 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, Yea, now, according to your words, so, let it be, —he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, Ye, however, shall be clear.

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

So they hastened and took down each man his sack to the ground, —and opened each man his sack.

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

Then made he thorough search, with the eldest, he began, and with the youngest, he ended, —and the cup was found in the sack of Benjamin!

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

And they rent their mantles, —and laded each man his ass, and returned to the city.

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.

And Judah and his brethren came into the house of Joseph, he, yet being there, —and fell down before him to the earth.

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 to them, What is this deed which ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I, can even divine?

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.”

Then said Judah—What shall we say to my lord, how shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, —when, God himself, hath found out the iniquity of thy servants? Behold us! my lord’s servants, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found.

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.”

And he said, Far be it from me to do this thing! The man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he, shall be my servant, but as for you, go ye up in peace unto your father.

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 drew near unto him, and said—Pardon my lord! Pray let thy servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let thine anger be kindled against thy servant, —for, thus, art, thou as Pharaoh!

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

It was, my lord, who asked his servants, saying, —Have ye 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.’

So we said unto my lord, We have an aged father, and the child of his old age a youth, —his brother, being dead, he alone, is left of his mother and, his father, loveth him.

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

So then thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, —that I may set mine eyes upon 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 unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, —as surely as he leaveth his father, so surely will he, die.

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

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother do come down with you, ye shall not again behold my face.

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

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

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

Then said our father, —Go again buy 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, We cannot go down, —If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we cannot see the face of the man if, our youngest brother, is not with us.

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

Then said thy servant my father, unto us, —Ye yourselves, know, that, two, did my wife bear to me,

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

and the one went forth from me, and I said—Certainly he hath been, torn in pieces, —And I have never seen him since.

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)

As surely as ye take, this one also, away from before my face and there befall him any mischief, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs, with misfortune to hades. (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)

Now, therefore, as surely as I go in unto thy servant my father, and, the lad, is not with us, —seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad’s soul,

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)

so surely shall it come to pass that when he seeth that the lad is not with us, then will he die. So shall thy servants bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father, with sorrow to hades. (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 thy servant, became surety for the lad, while away from my father saying, —If I bring him not unto thee, then will I count myself a sinner against my father all the days.

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.

Now, therefore, I pray thee let thy servant remain instead of the lad, as servant to my lord, —but as for the lad, let him go up with his brethren.

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 can I go up unto my father, should the lad, not be with me? lest I look on the calamity, that shall find out my father,