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.

And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top 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.

And in the mouth of the younger’s sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.

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

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

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 when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: 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 which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.

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

He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.

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 answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

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, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver?

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

With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen 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 sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.

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

Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

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

Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at 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.

Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into 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 Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place), and they altogether fell down before him on 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 do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.

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 Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen 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 answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you 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 Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,

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

My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you 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 thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.

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

And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither 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 cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, 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 thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no 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 were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

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

And our father said: Go again, 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 go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man’s face.

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

Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.

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 hitherto he appeareth not.

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 also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (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 shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth 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 he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (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 thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.

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.

Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.

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 be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.