Genesis 44

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

Then he gave orders to the servant who was over his house, saying, Put as much food into the men's bags as will go into them, and put every man's money in the mouth of his bag;

2 and my cup, the silver cup, you put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his grain-money”; and he does according to the word of Joseph which he has spoken.

And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said.

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

And at dawn the men, with their asses, were sent away.

4 they have gone out of the city—they have not gone far off—and Joseph has said to him who [is] over his house, “Rise, pursue after the men; and you have overtaken them, and you have said to them: Why have you repaid evil for good?

And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?

5 Is this not that with which my lord drinks? And he observes diligently with it; you have done evil [in] that which you have done.”

Is not this the cup from which my lord takes wine and by which he gets knowledge of the future? Truly, you have done evil.

6 And he overtakes them, and speaks to them these words,

So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 and they say to him, “Why does my lord speak according to these words? Far be it from your servants to do according to this word;

And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:

8 behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back to you from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of your lord silver or gold?

See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 With whomsoever of your servants it is found, he has died, and we also are to my lord for servants.”

If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.

10 And he says, “Now also, according to your words, so it [is]; he with whom it is found becomes my servant, and you are acquitted”;

And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible.

11 and they hurry and take down each his bag to the earth, and each opens his bag;

Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

12 and he searches—at the eldest he has begun, and at the youngest he has completed—and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.

13 and they tear their garments, and each loads his donkey, and they return to the city.

Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.

14 And Judah and his brothers come to the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall to the earth before him;

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was still there: and they went down on their faces before him.

15 and Joseph says to them, “What [is] this deed that you have done? Have you not known that a man like me diligently observes?”

And Joseph said, What is this thing which you have done? had you no thought that such a man as I would have power to see what is secret?

16 And Judah says, “What do we say to my lord? What do we speak? And how do we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we [are] servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup has been found”;

And Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.

17 and he says, “Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup has been found, he becomes my servant; and you, go up in peace to your father.”

Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace.

18 And Judah comes near to him and says, “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let your anger burn against your servant—for you are as Pharaoh.

Then Judah came near him, and said, Let your servant say a word in my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be burning against your servant: for you are in the place of Pharaoh to us.

19 My lord has asked his servants, saying, Do you have a father or brother?

My lord said to his servants, Have you a father or a brother?

20 And we say to 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 has loved him.

And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.

21 And you say to your servants, Bring him down to me, and I set my eye on him;

And you said to your servants, Let him come down to me with you, so that I may see him.

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

And we said to my lord, His father will not let him go; for if he went away his father would come to his death.

23 and you say to your servants, If your young brother does not come down with you, you do not add to see my face.

But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come with you, you will not see my face again.

24 And it comes to pass, that we have come up to your servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.

25 and our father says, Return, buy for us a little food,

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

26 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.

And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.

27 And your servant my father says to us, You have known that my wife bore two to me,

And our father said to us, You have knowledge that my wife gave me two sons;

28 and one goes out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn—torn! And I have not seen him since;

The one went away from me, and I said, Truly he has come to a violent death; and from that time I have not seen him,

29 when you have taken also this from my presence, and harm has met him, then you have brought down my grey hairs with evil to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

If now you take this one from me, and some evil comes to him, you will make my grey head go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

30 And now, at my coming to your servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),

If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,

31 then it has come to pass, when he sees that the youth is not, that he has died, and your servants have brought down the grey hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol; (Sheol h7585)

When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

32 for your servant obtained the youth by guarantee to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you—then I have sinned against my father all the days.

For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

33 And now, please let your servant abide instead of the youth [as] a servant to my lord, and the youth goes up with his brothers,

So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.

34 for how do I go up to my father, and the youth not with me? Lest I look on the evil which finds my father.”

For how may I go back to my father without the boy, and see the evil which will come on my father?