Genesis 44

1 Then he instructed the manager of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack.

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 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, along with the silver for his grain." So he did according to the word that Joseph had told him.

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 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent off along with their donkeys.

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

4 When they were far from the city, Joseph said to his manager, "Up, go after the men, and when you overtake them, ask 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 Why have you stolen my silver cup? Isn't it from this that my lord drinks and by which he indeed uses for divination? You have done evil in doing this.'"

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 caught up with them and spoke these words to them.

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

7 But they said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing.

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

8 Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

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 whomever of your servants it is found, he must die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

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 said, "Very well, then, it will be as you say. The one with whom it is found will be my slave, but you will be blameless."

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 Then they hurried, and each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

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

12 And he searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

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

13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

But they, tearing their garments and burdening their donkeys again, returned to the town.

14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there, and they fell to the ground 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 said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Didn't you know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?"

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 Then Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered the guilt of your servants. Look, we are my lord's slaves, both we, and the one in whose possession the cup was 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 But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose possession the cup was found, he will be my slave. But as for you, go up to your father in peace."

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 Then Judah approached him, and said, "My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not become angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.

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

My lord, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20 And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child born when he was old, a little one, and his brother is dead, and he is his mother's only child, and his father loves 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 Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, so that I can see him myself.'

And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me, and I will set my eyes on him.’

22 And we said to my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

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

23 But you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'

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

24 And it happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told 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 But our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

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

26 We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is 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 Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.

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

28 And the one disappeared from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces." And I haven't seen him since.

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

29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow 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 So now, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy's life,

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 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is not with us, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray 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 became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

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 So now, please let your servant remain instead of the boy, a slave to my lord, and let the boy go 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 will I go up to my father if the boy isn't with me? I could not bear to see the misery that would come on 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.”