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 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 opening.

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.

Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's opening of the youngest, and also his money for the grain.” The steward did as Joseph had said.

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

The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and 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?

When they were out of the city but were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, '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.”

Is this not the cup from which my master drinks, and the cup that he uses for divination? You have done evil, this thing that you have done.'”

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

The steward overtook them and spoke 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;

They said to him, “Why does my master speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they would 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?

Look, the money that we found in our sacks' openings, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then could we steal out of your master'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 whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my master's 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”;

The steward said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom the cup is found will be my slave, and you others will be innocent.”

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

Then each man hurried and brought his sack down to the ground, and each man 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;

The steward searched. He began with the oldest and finished with 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 tore their clothes. Each man loaded his donkey 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;

Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they bowed 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?”

Joseph said to them, “What is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me practices 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”;

Judah said, “What can we say to my master? What can we speak? Or how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Look, we are my master's slaves, both we and he also 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.”

Joseph said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup was found, that person will be my slave, but as for you others, go up in peace 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 came near to him and said, “My master, please let your servant speak a word in my master's ears, and do let your anger burn against your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh.

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

My master asked his servants, saying, '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 said to my master, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one. But his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.'

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

Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me 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;

After that, we said to my master, 'The boy 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.

Then you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down 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;

Then it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my master.

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

Our father said, 'Go again, buy us some 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.

Then we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down, for we will not be able to see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

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

Your servant my father said to us, 'You 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;

One of them 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)

Now if you also take this one from me, and harm comes to him, you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.' (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 your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy'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 about, when he sees the boy is not with us, he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (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 your servant became a guarantee for the boy to my father and said, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the guilt to my father forever.'

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, please let your servant stay instead of the boy as slave to my master, and 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 how can I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I am afraid to see the evil that would come on my father.”