Genesis 44

1 And he commanded him who was over his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry; and put every man's money in the mouth of his sack.

Then he instructed the manager of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack.

2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain-money. And he did according to the word of Joseph which he had spoken.

Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, along with the silver for his grain." So he did according to the word that Joseph had told him.

3 In the morning, when it was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent off along with their donkeys.

4 They were gone out of the city, [and] not [yet] far off, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Up! follow after the men; and when thou overtakest them, thou shalt say to them, Why have ye rewarded evil for good?

When they were far from the city, Joseph said to his manager, "Up, go after the men, and when you overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

5 Is not this [it] in which my lord drinks, and in which indeed he divines? Ye have done evil [in] what ye have done.

Why have you stolen my silver cup? Isn't it from this that my lord drinks and by which he indeed uses for divination? You have done evil in doing this.'"

6 And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

And he caught up with them and spoke these words to them.

7 And they said to him, Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from thy servants to do such a thing!

But they said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing.

8 Behold, the money that we found in our sacks' mouths we have brought again to thee from the land of Canaan; and how should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

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

With whomever of your servants it is found, he must die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

10 And he said, Now also [let] it [be] according to your words: let him with whom it is found be my bondman, but ye shall be blameless.

And he said, "Very well, then, it will be as you say. The one with whom it is found will be my slave, but you will be blameless."

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

Then they hurried, and each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

12 And he searched carefully: he began at the eldest, and ended at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

And he searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 Then they rent their clothes, and loaded every man his ass, and they returned to the city.

Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; and he was still there; and they fell down before him to the ground.

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

15 And Joseph said to them, What deed is this which ye have done? Did ye not know that such a man as I can certainly divine?

And Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Didn't you know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?"

16 And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak, and how justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he in whose hand the cup has been found.

Then Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered the guilt of your servants. Look, we are my lord's slaves, both we, and the one in whose possession the cup was found."

17 And he said, Far be it from me to do so! The man in whose hand the cup has been found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.

But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose possession the cup was found, he will be my slave. But as for you, go up to your father in peace."

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, Ah! 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.

Then Judah approached him, and said, "My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not become angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.

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

My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'

20 And we said to my lord, We have an aged father, and a child born to him in his old age, [yet] young; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.

And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child born when he was old, a little one, and his brother is dead, and he is his mother's only child, and his father loves him.'

21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set mine eye on him.

Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, so that I can see him myself.'

22 And we said to my lord, The youth cannot leave his father: if he should leave his father, [his father] would die.

And we said to my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

23 And thou saidst to thy servants, Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

But you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'

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

And it happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

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

But our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

26 But we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.

We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

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

Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.

28 and the one went out from me, and I said, He must certainly have been torn in pieces; and I have not seen him [again] hitherto.

And the one disappeared from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces." And I haven't seen him since.

29 And if ye take this one also from me, and mischief should befall him, ye will bring down my grey hairs with misery to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

30 And now, when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us, — seeing that his life is bound up with his life,

So now, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy's life,

31 it will come to pass when he sees that the lad is not [there], that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

it will happen, when he sees that the boy is not with us, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

32 For thy servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, then I shall be guilty toward my father all my days.

For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

33 And now, let thy servant stay, I pray thee, instead of the lad a bondman to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren;

So now, please let your servant remain instead of the boy, a slave to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brothers.

34 for how should I go up to my father if the lad were not with me? — lest I see the evil that would come on my father.

For how will I go up to my father if the boy isn't with me? I could not bear to see the misery that would come on my father."