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 the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

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 sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

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

As soon as the morning 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?

And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you do overtake them, say to them, Why have you 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 whereby indeed he divines? you have done evil in so doing.

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 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 said to him, Why says my lord these words? God forbid that your servants should do according to this 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, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of your 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 your servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.

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: he with whom it is found shall 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 every man his sack to 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, and began at the oldest, and left 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 laded every man his ass, and 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 brothers came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell 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 Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done? know you not 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? or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is 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, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you 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, Oh my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant: for you are 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 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 a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; 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 you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may 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.’

And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for 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 you said to your servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, you 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 your 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, and 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.’

And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.

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

And your servant my father said to us, You 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, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

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 you take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

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

Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s 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 shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (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 your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to you, then I shall bear the blame to 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.

Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant abide instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up 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 shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.