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;

And he commanded the superintendent of his house, saying, Fill the sacks of these men with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in the mouth 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.

And my cup, the silver cup, thou shalt put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and the money for his corn. And he did according to the word of Joseph which he had spoken.

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

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

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 were gone out of the city, not yet far off, when Joseph said unto the superintendent of his house, Up, follow after the men; and when thou hast overtaken them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye 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.”

Is not this out of which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

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

And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these same words.

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 unto him, Wherefore will my lord speak such words as these? God forbid that thy servants should do any thing like this.

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?

Behold the money, which we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

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

With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die; and we also will be bondmen unto thy 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, Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; but ye shall be blameless.

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

And they made haste, and every one of them took down his sack to the ground, and every one opened his sack.

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 searched, at the eldest he began, and at the youngest he left off; and 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.

Then they rent their clothes, and every one loaded his ass, and they returned 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;

And Judah and his brothers came into Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they fell down before him on 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 Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? knew ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

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 shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold we are servants unto my lord, both we, as also he in whose hand 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.”

And he said, God forbid that I should do this: the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, go you up in peace unto 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 came near unto him, and said, Pardon, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thy anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

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

My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye 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 unto my lord, We have an old father, and a little child born in his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

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

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set my eye upon 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 unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, he 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.

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall 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;

And it came to pass, when we came up unto thy servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.

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

And our father said, Go back and buy 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, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

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

And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bore 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;

And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he hath been torn to pieces; and I have not seen him up to this time.

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)

And if ye take this one also from me, and mischief befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow 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),

And now, when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

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)

It will come to pass, that when he seeth that the lad is not with us, he will die: and thy servants would thus bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father 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.

For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I have sinned against my father all the days.

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,

Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad as bond-man to my lord; and let the lad 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 how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? I should perhaps be compelled to witness the evil which would come on my father.