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 commandeth him who [is] over his house, saying, 'Fill the bags of the men [with] food, as they are able to bear, and put the money of each in the mouth of his bag;

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 my cup, the silver cup, thou dost put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his corn-money;' and he doth according to the word of Joseph which he hath spoken.

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

The morning is bright, and the men have been 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?

they have gone out of the city — they have not gone far off — and Joseph hath said to him who [is] over his house, 'Rise, pursue after the men; and thou hast overtaken them, and thou hast said unto them, Why have ye recompensed 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 that with which my lord drinketh? and he observeth diligently with it; ye have done evil [in] that which ye have done.'

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

And he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto them these 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 say unto him, 'Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word;

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?

lo, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back unto thee from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of thy lord 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 thy servants it is found, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.'

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 saith, 'Now, also, according to your words, so it [is]; he with whom it is found becometh my servant, and ye are acquitted;'

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

and they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag;

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

and he searcheth — at the eldest he hath begun, and at the youngest he hath completed — and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

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

and they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn back 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 — his brethren also — cometh in unto the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall before him to the earth;

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 saith to them, 'What [is] this deed that ye have done? have ye not known that a man like me doth diligently observe?'

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 saith, 'What do we say to my lord? what do we speak? and what — do we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; lo, we [are] servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been 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 saith, 'Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he becometh my servant; and ye, go ye 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.

And Judah cometh nigh unto him, and saith, 'O, my lord, let thy servant speak, I pray thee, a word in the ears of my lord, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant — for thou art as Pharaoh.

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

My lord hath asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father or 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 say unto 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 hath loved him.

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

'And thou sayest unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, and I set mine eye 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 say unto my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he hath left his father, then he hath died;

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

and thou sayest unto thy servants, If your young brother come not down with you, ye add not to see my face.

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

'And it cometh to pass, that we have come up unto thy servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

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

and our father saith, Turn back, buy for 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 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.

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

'And thy servant my father saith unto us, Ye — ye have known that two did my wife bare to me,

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 goeth out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn — torn! 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)

when ye have taken also this from my presence, and mischief hath met him, then ye have brought down my grey hairs with evil to sheol. (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,

'And now, at my coming in unto thy servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),

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)

then it hath come to pass when he seeth that the youth is not, that he hath died, and thy servants have brought down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to sheol; (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 thy servant obtained the youth by surety from my father, saying, If I bring him not in unto thee — then I have sinned against my father all the days.

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 now, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the youth a servant to my lord, and the youth goeth 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 do I go up unto my father, and the youth not with me? lest I look on the evil which doth find my father.'