Genesis 44

1 Then commanded he him who was over his house saying—Fill the sacks of the men, with food, as much 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 and my cup—the cup of silver, shalt thou put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his corn-silver. So he did, according to the word of Joseph, which he had spoken.

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 By the time, the morning, was light, the men, had been sent away, they, and their asses.

The morning is bright, and the men have been sent away, they and their asses —

4 They themselves, had gone out of the city—they had not gone far, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Rise chase after the men, —so shalt thou overtake them and shalt say unto them, Wherefore have ye requited 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 Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby, he himself, doth divine? Ye have done evil in what ye have done.

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 So he overtook them, —and spake unto them these words.

And he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto them these words,

7 And they said unto him, Wherefore should my lord speak such words as these? Far be thy servants, from doing such a thing as this!

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 Lo! the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan, —how then could we steal out of the house of thy lord, silver or gold?

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 whomsoever of thy servants it can be found, he shall die, —and, we also, will become my lord’s servants.

with whomsoever of thy servants it is found, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.'

10 And he said, Yea, now, according to your words, so, let it be, —he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, Ye, however, shall be clear.

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 So they hastened and took down each man his sack to the ground, —and opened each man his sack.

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

12 Then made he thorough search, with the eldest, he began, and with the youngest, he ended, —and the cup was found in the sack of Benjamin!

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 And they rent their mantles, —and laded each man his ass, and returned to the city.

and they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn back to the city.

14 And Judah and his brethren came into the house of Joseph, he, yet being there, —and fell down before him to the earth.

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 which ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I, can even divine?

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 said Judah—What shall we say to my lord, how shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, —when, God himself, hath found out the iniquity of thy servants? Behold us! my lord’s servants, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been 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 And he said, Far be it from me to do this thing! The man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he, shall be my servant, but as for you, go ye up in peace unto your father.

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 drew near unto him, and said—Pardon my lord! Pray let thy servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let thine anger be kindled against thy servant, —for, thus, art, thou as Pharaoh!

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 It was, my lord, who asked his servants, saying, —Have ye a father, or a brother?

My lord hath asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father or brother?

20 So we said unto my lord, We have an aged father, and the child of his old age a youth, —his brother, being dead, he alone, is left of his mother and, his father, loveth 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 So then thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, —that I may set mine eyes upon him.

'And thou sayest unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, and I set mine eye upon him;

22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, —as surely as he leaveth his father, so surely will he, 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 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother do come down with you, ye shall not again behold my face.

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

24 So it came to pass when we had gone up unto thy servant, my father, that 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 Then said our father, —Go again buy us a little food,

and our father saith, Turn back, buy for us a little food,

26 And we said, We cannot go down, —If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we cannot see the face of the man if, our youngest brother, is not 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 said thy servant my father, unto us, —Ye yourselves, know, that, two, did my wife bear to me,

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

28 and the one went forth from me, and I said—Certainly he hath been, torn in pieces, —And I have never 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 As surely as ye take, this one also, away from before my face and there befall him any mischief, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs, with misfortune to hades. (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 Now, therefore, as surely as I go in unto thy servant my father, and, the lad, is not with us, —seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad’s soul,

'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 so surely shall it come to pass that when he seeth that the lad is not with us, then will he die. So shall thy servants bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father, with sorrow to hades. (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 thy servant, became surety for the lad, while away from my father saying, —If I bring him not unto thee, then will I count myself a sinner against my father all the days.

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 Now, therefore, I pray thee let thy servant remain instead of the lad, as servant to my lord, —but as for the lad, let him go up with his brethren.

'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 can I go up unto my father, should the lad, not be with me? lest I look on the calamity, that shall find out 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.'