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 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.

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 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.

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

And when the morning arose, they were sent away with 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 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?

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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?

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 shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my 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 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.

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

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

Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, 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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.”

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.

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.

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,

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

My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you 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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 wheat.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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 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)

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,

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

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)

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)

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!’

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.

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

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.

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