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;

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 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.

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

At sunrise they were sent on their way 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?

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 this not that with which my lord drinks? And he observes diligently with it; you have done 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 overtakes them, and speaks to them these words,

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

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;

“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 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?

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 is found, he has died, and we also are to my lord for servants.”

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

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”;

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

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

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;

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 tear their garments, and each loads his donkey, and they return 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 come to the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall to the earth before him;

Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground 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?”

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

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”;

“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 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.”

“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 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.

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

My lord, previously you asked us, ‘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.

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

Then you ordered us, ‘Bring him here to me so I can 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;

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

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

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

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

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

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 says to us, You have known that my wife bore two to me,

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

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

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

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 away from me too, and something bad happens to him, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.’ (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),

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 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)

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 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.

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 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 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 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 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.”