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 superintendent of his house, saying, Fill the sacks of these men with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money 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 my cup, the silver cup, thou shalt put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and the money for his corn. And he did according to the word of Joseph which he 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?

They were gone out of the city, not yet far off, when Joseph said unto the superintendent of his house, Up, follow after the men; and when thou hast overtaken them, say unto them, Wherefore 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!’”

Is not this out of which my lord 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 spoke 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 will my lord speak such words as these? God forbid that thy servants should do any thing like this.

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 the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord'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, let him die; and we also will be bondmen unto thy 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 also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; but ye shall be blameless.

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

And they made haste, and every one of them took down his sack to the ground, and every one 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.

And he searched, at the eldest he began, and at the youngest he left off; 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 every one loaded his ass, and they 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 brothers came into Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they 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 Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? knew 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 lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold we are servants unto my lord, both we, as also he in whose hand 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.”

And he said, God forbid that I should do this: the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, go 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, Pardon, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thy 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 lord 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 lord, We have an old father, and a little child born in his old age; 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 my eye 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 lord, The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, he 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 not see my face any 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, that we told him the words of my lord.

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

And our father said, Go back 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 cannot 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 bore 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 hath been torn to pieces; and I have not seen him up to this time.

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 one also from me, and mischief befall him, ye will 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,

And now, 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 will come to pass, that when he seeth that the lad is not with us, he will die: and thy servants would thus 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 shall I have sinned against my father all the days.

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 as bond-man to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers.

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? I should perhaps be compelled to witness the evil which would come on my father.