Genesis 44

1 When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, “Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry [on their donkeys]. And put in the top of each man’s sack the silver that he paid for the grain.

Then he gave orders to the servant who was over his house, saying, Put as much food into the men's bags as will go into them, and put every man's money in the mouth of his bag;

2 Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.

And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said.

3 The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.

And at dawn the men, with their asses, were sent away.

4 When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, “Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, ‘We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?

And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?

5 [You have stolen the cup] that my master drinks from [RHQ]! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!’”

Is not this the cup from which my lord takes wine and by which he gets knowledge of the future? Truly, you have done evil.

6 The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.

So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 But one of them replied to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!

And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:

8 We even brought back to you from Canaan land the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So (we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house!/Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?) [RHQ]

See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”

If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.

10 The man replied, “Okay, I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home.”

And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible.

11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.

Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

12 Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother’s sack and ended with the youngest one’s sack. And he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack and showed it to them.

And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.

13 The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.

Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.

14 When Judah and his [older and younger] brothers entered Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was still there: and they went down on their faces before him.

15 He said to them, “Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?” [RHQ]

And Joseph said, What is this thing which you have done? had you no thought that such a man as I would have power to see what is secret?

16 Judah replied, “Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we (are innocent/did not steal the cup)? God has (paid us back/punished us) for the sins [we committed many years ago]. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.”

And Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.

17 But Joseph replied, “No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully.”

Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace.

18 Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.

Then Judah came near him, and said, Let your servant say a word in my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be burning against your servant: for you are in the place of Pharaoh to us.

19 You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’

My lord said to his servants, Have you a father or a brother?

20 We answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an [older] brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’

And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.

21 Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.’

And you said to your servants, Let him come down to me with you, so that I may see him.

22 We said to you, ‘No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die from sorrow.’

And we said to my lord, His father will not let him go; for if he went away his father would come to his death.

23 But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’

But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come with you, you will not see my face again.

24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.

And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.

25 [Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’

And our father said, Go again and get us a little food.

26 But we said, ‘We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.’

And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.

27 Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.

And our father said to us, You have knowledge that my wife gave me two sons;

28 One of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.

The one went away from me, and I said, Truly he has come to a violent death; and from that time I have not seen him,

29 I am an old gray-haired man. If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me to die because of my sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)

If now you take this one from me, and some evil comes to him, you will make my grey head go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

30 “So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.

If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,

31 If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow. (Sheol h7585)

When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

32 I guaranteed/promised to my father that the boy would return safely. I told him, ‘You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it is my fault) [for not bringing him back to you].’

For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

33 “So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.

So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.

34 (I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me!/How can I return to my father if the boy is not with me?) [RHQ] I do not want to see how miserable/sad my father would become!”

For how may I go back to my father without the boy, and see the evil which will come on my father?