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 his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his 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.

Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

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

At daybreak, the men were sent on their way 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?

They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

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.'"

Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”

6 And he caught up with them and spoke these words to them.

When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.

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.

“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.

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?

We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

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

If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves 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."

“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”

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

So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

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

The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

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

Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

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?"

“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”

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."

“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”

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."

But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”

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 approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself.

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

My lord asked his servants, ‘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, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

21 Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, so that I can see him myself.'

Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’

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.'

So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’

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

But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

24 And it happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.

25 But our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’

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.'

But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’

27 Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.

And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

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

When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.

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)

Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ (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,

So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life,

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)

sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. (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.'

Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’

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.

Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return 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 how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”