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 commanded he him who was over his house saying—Fill the sacks of the men, with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s silver 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 my cup—the cup of silver, shalt thou put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his corn-silver. So 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.
By the time, the morning, was light, the men, had been 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 themselves, had gone out of the city—they had not gone far, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Rise chase after the men, —so shalt thou overtake them and shalt say unto them, Wherefore have ye requited 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 that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby, he himself, doth divine? 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.
So he overtook them, —and spake unto 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 unto him, Wherefore should my lord speak such words as these? Far be thy servants, from doing such a thing as this!
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]
Lo! the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan, —how then could we steal out of the house of thy 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 thy servants it can be found, he shall die, —and, we also, will become my 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, Yea, now, according to your words, so, let it be, —he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, Ye, however, shall be clear.
11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
So they hastened and took down each man his sack to the ground, —and opened each 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.
Then made he thorough search, with the eldest, he began, and with the youngest, he ended, —and the cup was found in the sack 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 rent their mantles, —and laded each 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 brethren came into the house of Joseph, he, yet being there, —and fell down before him to the earth.
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 is this deed which ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I, can even 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.”
Then said Judah—What shall we say to my lord, how shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, —when, God himself, hath found out the iniquity of thy servants? Behold us! my lord’s servants, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath 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 this thing! The man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he, shall be my servant, but as for you, go ye up in peace unto 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 drew near unto him, and said—Pardon my lord! Pray let thy servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let thine anger be kindled against thy servant, —for, thus, art, thou as Pharaoh!
19 You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
It was, my lord, who 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.’
So we said unto my lord, We have an aged father, and the child of his old age a youth, —his brother, being dead, he alone, is left of his mother and, his father, loveth 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.’
So then thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, —that I may set mine eyes upon 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 unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, —as surely as he leaveth his father, so surely will he, 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 unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother do come down with you, ye shall not again behold my face.
24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
So it came to pass when we had gone up unto thy servant, my father, that we told him the words of my lord.
25 [Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
Then said our father, —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.’
And we said, We cannot go down, —If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we cannot see the face of the man 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.
Then said thy servant my father, unto us, —Ye yourselves, know, that, two, did my wife bear 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 the one went forth from me, and I said—Certainly he hath been, torn in pieces, —And I have never 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)
As surely as ye take, this one also, away from before my face and there befall him any mischief, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs, with misfortune to hades. (Sheol h7585)
30 “So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
Now, therefore, as surely as I go in unto thy servant my father, and, the lad, is not with us, —seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad’s 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)
so surely shall it come to pass that when he seeth that the lad is not with us, then will he die. So shall thy servants bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father, with sorrow to hades. (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, while away from my father saying, —If I bring him not unto thee, then will I count myself a sinner 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.
Now, therefore, I pray thee let thy servant remain instead of the lad, as servant to my lord, —but as for the lad, let him 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 can I go up unto my father, should the lad, not be with me? lest I look on the calamity, that shall find out my father,
