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 he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

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 cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

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

As soon as the morning was light, 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 were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded 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!’”

Is not this it in which my master drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

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

And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

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

And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my master these words? Elohim forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

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?

Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy master's house silver or gold?

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 it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my master's bondmen.

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 also let it be according unto your words; he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye 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 every man his sack to the ground, and 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, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found 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 clothes, and laded every man 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 Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell 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 Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly 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 Judah said, What shall we say unto my master? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? Elohim hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my master's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is 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 he said, Elohim forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto 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 Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my master, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my master's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.

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

My master asked his 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 unto my master, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

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

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

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

And we said unto my master, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

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

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye 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.

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

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 cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

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

And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

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

And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

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)

And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs 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 therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the 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 come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant 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 became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to 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 therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my master; and 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, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.