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.

Then commanded he him who was over his house saying—Fill the sacks of the men, with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s silver 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 cup of silver, shalt thou put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his corn-silver. So he did, according to the word of Joseph, which he had spoken.

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

By the time, the morning, was light, the men, had been 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 themselves, had gone out of the city—they had not gone far, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Rise chase after the men, —so shalt thou overtake them and shalt say unto them, Wherefore have ye requited 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 that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby, he himself, doth divine? Ye have done evil in what ye have done.

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

So he overtook them, —and spake unto them these 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 should my lord speak such words as these? Far be thy servants, from doing such a thing as 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?

Lo! the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan, —how then could we steal out of the house of thy lord, 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 can be found, he shall die, —and, we also, will become my lord’s servants.

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, Yea, now, according to your words, so, let it be, —he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, Ye, however, shall be clear.

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

So they hastened and took down each man his sack to the ground, —and opened each 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.

Then made he thorough search, with the eldest, he began, and with the youngest, he ended, —and the cup was found in the sack of Benjamin!

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 mantles, —and laded each 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 into the house of Joseph, he, yet being there, —and fell down before him to the earth.

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 deed which ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I, can even 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.”

Then said Judah—What shall we say to my lord, how shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, —when, God himself, hath found out the iniquity of thy servants? Behold us! my lord’s servants, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath 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 he said, Far be it from me to do this thing! The man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he, shall be my servant, but as for you, go ye 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 drew near unto him, and said—Pardon my lord! Pray let thy servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let thine anger be kindled against thy servant, —for, thus, art, thou as Pharaoh!

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

It was, my lord, who 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.’

So we said unto my lord, We have an aged father, and the child of his old age a youth, —his brother, being dead, 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.’

So then 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 lord, The lad cannot leave his father, —as surely as he leaveth his father, so surely will he, 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 do come down with you, ye shall not again behold my face.

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

So it came to pass when we had gone 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.’

Then said our father, —Go again 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 face of the man if, our youngest brother, is not with us.

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

Then said thy servant my father, unto us, —Ye yourselves, know, that, two, did my wife bear to me,

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

and the one went forth from me, and I said—Certainly he hath been, torn in pieces, —And I have never seen him 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)

As surely as ye take, this one also, away from before my face and there befall him any mischief, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs, with misfortune to hades. (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, as surely as I go in unto thy servant my father, and, the lad, is not with us, —seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad’s soul,

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)

so surely shall it come to pass that when he seeth that the lad is not with us, then will he die. So shall thy servants bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father, with sorrow to hades. (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, while away from my father saying, —If I bring him not unto thee, then will I count myself a sinner 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 remain instead of the lad, as servant to my lord, —but as for the lad, let him 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 can I go up unto my father, should the lad, not be with me? lest I look on the calamity, that shall find out my father,