Genesis 44

1 Joseph ordered his household supervisor, “Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they can hold and put each man's money at the top of his sack.

And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack.

2 Then put my special silver cup at the top of the sack of the youngest, along with the money for his grain.” He did as Joseph told him.

And put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said.

3 At sunrise they were sent on their way with their donkeys.

The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.

4 They had hardly left the city when Joseph told his household supervisor, “Go after those men, and when you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you paid back good with evil by stealing my master's silver cup?

And when they had gone out of the city, [and] were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and thou shalt overtake them, and say to them, Why have ye returned evil for good?

5 This is the cup he personally drinks from, and which he uses for divination. What you've done is really evil!’”

Why have ye stolen my silver cup? is it not this out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; ye have accomplished evil in that which ye have done.

6 When he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had said.

And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.

7 “My lord, what are you saying?” they replied. “We your servants wouldn't do anything like that!

And they said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word.

8 Remember that we brought back the money we found at the top of our sacks when we returned from Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?

If we brought back to thee out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of thy lord?

9 If any one of us is found with it, he shall die, and all of us will become your slaves.”

With whomsoever of thy servants thou shalt find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord.

10 “Whatever you say,” the man replied, “but only the one found with it will become my slave since the rest of you will be free of any blame.”

And he said, Now then it shall be as ye say; with whomsoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and ye shall be clear.

11 They all unloaded their sacks and put them on the ground. They each opened their own sacks.

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

12 The household supervisor searched the sacks, beginning with the oldest and working his way down to the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

And he searched, beginning from the eldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

13 The brothers tore their clothes in grief. Then they loaded their sacks back on their donkeys and headed back to the city.

And they rent their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.

14 Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.

And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him.

15 “Why did you do this?” Joseph asked. “Don't you know a man like me can find out things through divination?”

And Joseph said to them, What is this thing that ye have done? know ye not that a man such as I can surely divine?

16 “My lord, what can we say?” Judah replied. “How can we explain this to you? In what way can we prove our innocence? God has exposed the guilt of your servants. My lord, we are your slaves—all of us, including the one who was found with the cup.”

And Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? whereas God has discovered the unrighteousness of thy servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been found.

17 “I wouldn't do anything like that!” Joseph replied. “Only the man who was found with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to return to your father.”

And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do ye go up with safety to your father.

18 Judah came closer and said to him, “If you please, my lord, let your servant just say a word. Please don't become angry with your servant, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.

And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let thy servant speak a word before thee, and be not angry with thy servant, for thou art next to Pharao.

19 My lord, previously you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

Sir, thou askedst thy servants, saying, Have ye a father or a brother?

20 We told you, my lord, ‘We have an elderly father, and a younger brother, born when our father was already old. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's children left, and his father loves him dearly.’

And we said to [my] lord, We have a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him.

21 Then you ordered us, ‘Bring him here to me so I can see him.’

And thou saidst to they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.

22 We told you, ‘The boy can't leave his father; if he did, his father would die.’

And we said to [my] lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die.

23 But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother doesn't come with you, you won't see me again.’

But thou saidst to they servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, ye shall not see my face again.

24 So when we went back to your servant, our father, we explained to him everything you had told us.

And it came to pass, when we went up to thy servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.

25 However, later on, our father told us, ‘Go back and buy some more food.’

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

26 But we said, ‘There's no way we can go back unless Benjamin our youngest brother goes with us, because we won't be able to see the man if Benjamin isn't with us.’

And we said, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us.

27 Then my father said to us, ‘You realize that my wife had two sons for me.

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

28 One is no more, ripped to pieces no doubt, for I've never seen him since.

and one is departed from me; and ye said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.

29 If you take this one away from me too, and something bad happens to him, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.’ (Sheol h7585)

If then ye take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall ye bring down my old age with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

30 So if the boy isn't with us when I go back to my father, whose life depends on the life of the boy,

Now then, if I should go in to they servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this [lad's] life)

31 as soon as he sees the boy isn't there he'll die, and we will really send this old man, our father, to his grave in grief. (Sheol h7585)

—it shall even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, [that] he will die, and thy servants will bring down the old age of thy servant, and our father, with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

32 In fact I gave myself as the guarantee for the boy to my father. I told him, ‘If I don't bring him back to you, then I will always carry the blame!’

For thy servant has received the boy [in charge] from his father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, and place him before thee, I shall be guilty towards my father for ever.

33 So please let me stay here as my lord's slave instead of the boy. Let him go back home with his brothers.

Now then I will remain a servant with thee instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up with his brethren.

34 For how could I ever go back to my father if the boy wasn't with me? I couldn't stand seeing the anguish that would cause my father.”

For how shall I go up to my father, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall my father.