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 commandeth him who [is] over his house, saying, 'Fill the bags of the men [with] food, as they are able to bear, and put the money of each in the mouth of his bag;

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 my cup, the silver cup, thou dost put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his corn-money;' and he doth according to the word of Joseph which he hath spoken.

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

The morning is bright, and the men have been 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 have gone out of the city — they have not gone far off — and Joseph hath said to him who [is] over his house, 'Rise, pursue after the men; and thou hast overtaken them, and thou hast said unto them, Why have ye recompensed 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 that with which my lord drinketh? and he observeth diligently with it; ye have done evil [in] that which ye have done.'

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

And he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto 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 say unto him, 'Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word;

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?

lo, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back unto thee from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of thy lord 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, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.'

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 saith, 'Now, also, according to your words, so it [is]; he with whom it is found becometh my servant, and ye are acquitted;'

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

and they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag;

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 searcheth — at the eldest he hath begun, and at the youngest he hath completed — and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

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

and they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn back 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 — his brethren also — cometh in unto the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall before him to the earth;

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 saith to them, 'What [is] this deed that ye have done? have ye not known that a man like me doth diligently observe?'

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 saith, 'What do we say to my lord? what do we speak? and what — do we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; lo, we [are] servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath 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 saith, 'Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he becometh my servant; and ye, go ye up in peace unto 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,

And Judah cometh nigh unto him, and saith, 'O, my lord, let thy servant speak, I pray thee, a word in the ears of my lord, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant — for thou art as Pharaoh.

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

My lord hath asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father or 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 say unto my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one; and his brother died, and he is left alone of his mother, and his father hath loved him.

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

'And thou sayest unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, and I set mine eye upon him;

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

and we say unto my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he hath left his father, then he hath died;

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

and thou sayest unto thy servants, If your young brother come not down with you, ye add not to see my face.

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

'And it cometh to pass, that we have come up unto thy servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

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

and our father saith, Turn back, buy for 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.

and we say, We are not able to go down; if our young brother is with us, then we have gone down; for we are not able to see the man's face, and our young brother not with us.

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

'And thy servant my father saith unto us, Ye — ye have known that two did my wife bare to me,

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

and the one goeth out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn — torn! and I have not seen him since;

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)

when ye have taken also this from my presence, and mischief hath met him, then ye have brought down my grey hairs with evil 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, at my coming in unto thy servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),

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)

then it hath come to pass when he seeth that the youth is not, that he hath died, and thy servants have brought 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 obtained the youth by surety from my father, saying, If I bring him not in unto thee — then I have sinned against my father all the 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, I pray thee, abide instead of the youth a servant to my lord, and the youth goeth 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 do I go up unto my father, and the youth not with me? lest I look on the evil which doth find my father.'