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.

And he commandeth him who [is] over his house, saying, 'Fill the bags of the men [with] food, as they are able to bear, and put the money of each in the mouth of his bag;

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.

and my cup, the silver cup, thou dost put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his corn-money;' and he doth according to the word of Joseph which he hath spoken.

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

The morning is bright, and the men have been sent away, they and their asses —

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 have gone out of the city — they have not gone far off — and Joseph hath said to him who [is] over his house, 'Rise, pursue after the men; and thou hast overtaken them, and thou hast said unto them, Why have ye recompensed evil for good?

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.

Is not this that with which my lord drinketh? and he observeth diligently with it; ye have done evil [in] that which ye have done.'

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

And he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto them these words,

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.

and they say unto him, 'Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word;

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?

lo, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back unto thee from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of thy lord silver or gold?

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

with whomsoever of thy servants it is found, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.'

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.

And he saith, 'Now, also, according to your words, so it [is]; he with whom it is found becometh my servant, and ye are acquitted;'

11 And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack.

and they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag;

12 And he searched, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

and he searcheth — at the eldest he hath begun, and at the youngest he hath completed — and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

13 And they tore their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.

and they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn 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.

And Judah — his brethren also — cometh in unto the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall before him to the earth;

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?

and Joseph saith to them, 'What [is] this deed that ye have done? have ye not known that a man like me doth diligently observe?'

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.

And Judah saith, 'What do we say to my lord? what do we speak? and what — do we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; lo, we [are] servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found;'

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.

and he saith, 'Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he becometh my servant; and ye, go ye up in peace unto 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.

And Judah cometh nigh unto him, and saith, 'O, my lord, let thy servant speak, I pray thee, a word in the ears of my lord, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant — for thou art as Pharaoh.

19 Sir, you asked your servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother?

My lord hath asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father or 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.

and we say unto my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one; and his brother died, and he is left alone of his mother, and his father hath loved him.

21 And you said to they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.

'And thou sayest unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, and I set mine eye upon 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.

and we say unto my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he hath left his father, then he hath died;

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

and thou sayest unto thy servants, If your young brother come not down with you, ye add not to see my face.

24 And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.

'And it cometh to pass, that we have come up unto thy servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

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

and our father saith, Turn back, buy for us a little 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.

and we say, We are not able to go down; if our young brother is with us, then we have gone down; for we are not able to see the man's face, and our young brother not with us.

27 And your servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two [sons];

'And thy servant my father saith unto us, Ye — ye have known that two did my wife bare to 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.

and the one goeth out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn — torn! and I have not 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)

when ye have taken also this from my presence, and mischief hath met him, then ye have brought down my grey hairs with evil to sheol. (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)

'And now, at my coming in unto thy servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),

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)

then it hath come to pass when he seeth that the youth is not, that he hath died, and thy servants have brought down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to sheol; (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.

for thy servant obtained the youth by surety from my father, saying, If I bring him not in unto thee — then I have sinned against my father all the days.

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.

'And now, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the youth a servant to my lord, and the youth goeth up with his brethren,

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 do I go up unto my father, and the youth not with me? lest I look on the evil which doth find my father.'