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 Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top 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 in the mouth of the younger’s sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.

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

And when the morning arose, they were sent away with 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?

And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned 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!’”

The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.

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

He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same 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 answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

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]

The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver?

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 shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.

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 to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.

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

Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened 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.

Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup 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 garments, and loading their asses again, returned into 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.

And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place), and they altogether fell down before him on 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 he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.

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 Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was 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.”

Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free 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 Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,

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

My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: 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 answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.

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 to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes 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.’

We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will 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: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.

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

Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

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

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

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 to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man’s face.

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

Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.

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.

One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not.

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 you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (Sheol h7585)

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

Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him, )

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)

And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (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].’

Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father 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.

Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy 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 I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.