Genesis 44

1 And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack.

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 silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said.

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 The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.

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

4 And when they had gone out of the city, [and] were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and you shall overtake them, and say to them, Why have you returned 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 Why have you stolen my silver cup? is it not this out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; you have accomplished evil in that which you have done.

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

6 And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.

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

7 And they said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from your servants to do according to this word.

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

8 If we brought back to you out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of your lord?

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 whoever of your servants you shall find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord.

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 then it shall be as you say; with whoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and you shall be clear.

“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 And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they 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, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup 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 And they tore their garments, and laid each man his sack on 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 Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him.

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 is this thing that you have done? know you not that a man such as I can surely divine?

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

16 And Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? whereas God has discovered the unrighteousness of your servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been 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 Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do you go up with safety 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 And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let your servant speak a word before you, and be not angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharao.

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 Sir, you asked your 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 he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to 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 they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.

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

22 And we said to [my] lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die.

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

23 But you said to they servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, you shall not see my face again.

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 went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of our 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 shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being 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 our 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 one is departed from me; and you said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.

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

29 If then you take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall you bring down my old age 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 then, if I should go in to they servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this [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 even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, [that] he will die, and your servants will bring down the old age of your servant, and 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 has received the boy [in charge] from his father, saying, If I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards 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 then I will remain a servant with you instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up with his brethren.

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, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall 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.”