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 Joseph instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Fill their sacks with grain, as much as they are able to hold. And place each one’s money at the top of the sack.

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.

But place my silver bowl, and the price that he gave for the wheat, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest.” And so it was done.

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

And when morning arose, they were sent away with their donkeys.

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 now they had departed from the city and had set out a short distance. Then Joseph, sending for the steward of his house, said: “Rise up and pursue the men. And when you have overtaken them, say: ‘Why have you returned evil 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.”

The cup that you have stolen, it is that from which my lord drinks, and in which he is accustomed to discern signs. You have done a very sinful thing.’”

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

He did as he had been ordered. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them according to the order.

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 responded: “Why does our lord speak in this way, as though your servants had committed such a shameful act?

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?

The money, which we found at the top of our sacks, we carried back to you from the land of Canaan. So in what way does it follow that we would steal, from the house of your lord, gold or silver?

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

Whichever of your servants will be found to have what you seek, may he die, and we shall be the servants of my lord.”

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 to them: “Let it be according to your verdict. With whomever it will be found, let him be my servant, but you will be unharmed.”

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

And so, they quickly placed their sacks down to the ground, and each one was opened.

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 when he had searched, beginning with the oldest, all the way to the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

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

But they, tearing their garments and burdening their donkeys again, returned 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;

And Judah, first among his brothers, entered to Joseph (for he had not yet departed from the place) and together they all fell down before him to the ground.

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 he said to them: “Why would you choose to act in this way? Could you be ignorant that there is no one like me in the knowledge of discerning signs?”

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 to him, “What could we answer to my lord? And what would we be able to say, or to justly claim? God has discovered the iniquity of your servants. See, we have all become servants to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.”

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.”

Joseph responded: “Far be it from me that I should act in this way. He who stole the cup, he will be my servant. But you may go away free to your father.”

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, approaching closer, said confidently: “I beg you, my lord, let your servant speak a word in your ears, and do not be angry with your servant. For you are next to Pharaoh.

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

My lord, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have 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 answered you, my lord: ‘There is our father, an old man, and a young boy, who was born in his old age. His brother of the same womb has died, and he alone is left to his mother and father, who truly love him tenderly.’

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, ‘Bring him to me, and I will set my eyes on 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;

We suggested to my lord: ‘The boy is not able to leave his father. For if he sends him away, he will die.’

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.

And you said to your servants: ‘Unless your youngest brother arrives with you, you will not see my face any more.’

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;

Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.

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

And our father said: ‘Return and buy us a little wheat.’

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 to him: ‘We cannot go. If our youngest brother descends with us, we will set out together. Otherwise, in his absence, we do not dare to see the face of the man.’

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

To which he responded: ‘You know that my wife conceived twice by me.

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

One went out, and you said, “A beast devoured him.” And since then, he has not appeared.

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 you take this one also, and anything happens to him on the way, you will lead my grey hairs down with grief to the grave.’ (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),

Therefore, if I would have gone to your servant, our father, with the boy not present, (though his life depends upon the life of him)

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)

and if he were to see that he is not with us, he would die, and your servants will lead his grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave. (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.

Let me be your very own servant, for I accepted this one into my trust, and I promised, saying: ‘Unless I lead him back, I will be guilty of a sin against my father for all time.’

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,

And so I, your servant, will remain in place of the boy, in ministry to my lord, and then let the boy go up 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 I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress my father.”