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

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and 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 gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you do overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have all of you rewarded 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.'"

Is not this it in which my lord drinks, and whereby indeed he divines? all of you have done evil in so doing.

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

And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these 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 said unto him, Wherefore says my lord these words? God forbid that your servants should do according to this 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?

Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto you out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of your lord's house silver or gold?

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

With whomsoever of your servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

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, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and all of 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 every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

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

And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at 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 rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, 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.

And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell 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 Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that all of you have done? know all of you not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

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, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is 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."

And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto 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 came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant: for you are even as Pharaoh.

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

My lord asked his servants, saying, Have all of 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 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 loves him.

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

And you said unto your servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon 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.'

And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, 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.'

And you said unto your servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, all of 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.

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

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

And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little 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.'

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

And your servant my father said unto us, All of you know that my wife bare 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.

And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not 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)

And if all of you take this also from me, and mischief befall him, all of you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow 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,

Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad'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)

It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father 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.'

For your servant became guarantor for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto you, then I shall bear the blame to 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.

Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad 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 how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest possibly I see the evil that shall come on my father.