Genesis 44

1 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.

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.

2 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.

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.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

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

4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you do overtake them, say to them, Why have you rewarded evil for good?

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?

5 Is not this it in which my lord drinks, and whereby indeed he divines? you have done evil in so doing.

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

6 And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

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

7 And they said to him, Why says my lord these words? God forbid that your servants should do according to this thing:

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

8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of your lord’s house silver or gold?

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?

9 With whomsoever of your servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.

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

10 And he said, Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and you shall be blameless.

“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.”

11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

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

12 And he searched, and began at the oldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

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.

13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

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

14 And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

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

15 And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done? know you not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

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

16 And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

“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.”

17 And he said, God 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 to your father.

“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.”

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, Oh my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant: for you are even as Pharaoh.

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.

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father, or a brother?

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

20 And we said to my lord, 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 loves him.

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.’

21 And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.

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

22 And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

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

23 And you said to your servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more.

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

24 And it came to pass when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

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

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

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

26 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.

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.’

27 And your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons:

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

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

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

29 And if you take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

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)

30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;

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

31 It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

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)

32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to you, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

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!’

33 Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant abide instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers.

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

34 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.

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.”