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 steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

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, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph 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?

[And] when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded 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 it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed 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 spake unto them these 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 speaketh my lord such words as these? God forbid that thy servants should 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?

Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again 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 my lord’s bondmen.

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 unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.

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

Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man 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, [and] began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: 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 laded every man his ass, and 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 brethren came to Joseph’s house; and he was yet there: and they fell 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? know ye not that such a man as I can indeed 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 clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is 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 so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get 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, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine 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 a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; 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 mine eyes 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, 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.

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no 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, 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 again, 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 may not 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 bare 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 is torn in pieces; and I have not 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)

and if ye take this one also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall 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),

Now therefore 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 shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not [with us], that he will die: and thy servants shall 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 bear the blame to my father 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,

Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

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? lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.