Genesis 44

1 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.

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.

2 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.

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.

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

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

4 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?

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?

5 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.

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

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

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

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

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!

8 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?

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?

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

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

10 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

14 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.

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

15 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.

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?

16 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.

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.

17 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.

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.

18 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,

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.

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

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

20 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

26 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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

29 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)

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)

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

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,

31 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)

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)

32 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.

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.

33 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.

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;

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

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.