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 commands him who [is] over his house, saying, “Fill the bags of the men [with] food, as they are able to carry, and put the money of each 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 my cup, the silver cup, you put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his grain-money”; and he does according to the word of Joseph which he has spoken.

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

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

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 have gone out of the city—they have not gone far off—and Joseph has said to him who [is] over his house, “Rise, pursue after the men; and you have overtaken them, and you have said to them: Why have you repaid 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 this not that with which my lord drinks? And he observes diligently with it; you have done evil [in] that which you 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 overtakes them, and speaks 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 say to him, “Why does my lord speak according to these words? Far be it from your servants to do according to this word;

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 the mouth of our bags we brought back to you from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of your lord 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 is found, he has died, and we also are to my lord for 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 says, “Now also, according to your words, so it [is]; he with whom it is found becomes my servant, and you are acquitted”;

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

and they hurry and take down each his bag to the earth, and each opens his bag;

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 searches—at the eldest he has begun, and at the youngest he has completed—and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

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

and they tear their garments, and each loads his donkey, and they return 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 come to the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall to the earth 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 says to them, “What [is] this deed that you have done? Have you not known that a man like me diligently observes?”

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 says, “What do we say to my lord? What do we speak? And how do we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we [are] servants to my lord, 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 says, “Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup has been found, he becomes my servant; and 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.

And Judah comes near to him and says, “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let your anger burn against your servant—for you are as Pharaoh.

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

My lord has asked his servants, saying, Do you have a father or 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 say to 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 has loved 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 say to your servants, Bring him down to me, and I set my 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 say to my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he has left his father, then he has died;

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 say to your servants, If your young brother does not come down with you, you do not add to see my face.

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

And it comes to pass, that we have come up to your servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

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

and our father says, Return, buy for 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 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 Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.

And your servant my father says to us, You have known that my wife bore two to me,

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 one goes out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn—torn! And I have not seen him 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)

when you have taken also this from my presence, and harm has met him, then you have brought down my grey hairs with evil to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

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

And now, at my coming to your servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),

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)

then it has come to pass, when he sees that the youth is not, that he has died, and your servants have brought down the grey hairs of your 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 your servant obtained the youth by guarantee to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you—then I have sinned against my father all the 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, please let your servant abide instead of the youth [as] a servant to my lord, and the youth goes 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 do I go up to my father, and the youth not with me? Lest I look on the evil which finds my father.”