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.

And he commanded him who was over his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry; and put every man's money in the mouth of his sack.

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, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain-money. And he did according to the word of Joseph which he had spoken.

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

In the morning, when it was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

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?

They were gone out of the city, [and] not [yet] far off, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Up! follow after the men; and when thou overtakest them, thou shalt say to them, Why have ye rewarded evil 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 [it] in which my lord drinks, and in which indeed he divines? Ye have done evil [in] what ye have done.

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

And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

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 speak such words as these? Far be it from thy 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]

Behold, the money that we found in our sacks' mouths we have brought again to thee from the land of Canaan; and how should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

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

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

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, Now also [let] it [be] according to your words: let him with whom it is found be my bondman, but ye shall be blameless.

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

And they hasted and laid down every man his sack on the ground, and opened every man his sack.

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 searched carefully: he began at the eldest, and ended at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

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 they rent their clothes, and loaded every man his ass, and they returned to the city.

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.

And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; and he was still there; and they fell down before him to the ground.

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 to them, What deed is this which ye have done? Did ye not know that such a man as I can certainly divine?

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 shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak, and how justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he in whose hand the cup has been found.

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.”

And he said, Far be it from me to do so! The man in whose hand the cup has been found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.

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 to him, and said, Ah! my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

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

My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye 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 aged father, and a child born to him in his old age, [yet] young; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.

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 thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set mine eye on 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, The youth cannot leave his father: if he should leave his father, [his father] would die.

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

And thou saidst to thy servants, Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

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

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

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

And our father said, Go again, buy 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.’

But we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.

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

And thy servant my father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore 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.

and the one went out from me, and I said, He must certainly have been torn in pieces; and I have not seen him [again] hitherto.

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)

And if ye take this one also from me, and mischief should befall him, ye will bring down my grey hairs with misery to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

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

And now, when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us, — seeing that his life is bound up with his life,

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)

it will come to pass when he sees that the lad is not [there], that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (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 thy servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, then I shall be guilty toward my father all my days.

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.

And now, let thy servant stay, I pray thee, instead of the lad a bondman to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren;

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 should I go up to my father if the lad were not with me? — lest I see the evil that would come on my father.