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 commaunded the rueler of his house saynge: fyll the mens sackes with food as moch as they can carie
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 euery mans money in his bagge mouth and put my syluer cuppe in the sackes mouth of the yongest and his corne money also. And he dyd as Ioseph had sayde.
3 The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
And in ye mornynge as soone as it was lighte the me were let goo 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 out of the cytie and not yet ferre awaye Ioseph sayde vnto the ruelar of his house: vp and folowe after the men and ouertake them and saye vnto them: wherefore haue ye rewarded euell 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 that not the cuppe of which my lorde drynketh ad doth he not prophesie therin? ye haue euell done that ye haue 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 ouertoke them and sayde the same wordes vnto them.
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 him: wherfore sayth my lorde soch wordes? God forbydd that thy servauntes shulde doo so.
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]
Beholde the money which we founde in oure sackes mouthes we brought agayne vnto the out of the lande of Canaa: how then shulde we steale out of my lordes house ether syluer or golde?
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 whosoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde let him dye and let vs also be my lordes 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 sayde: Now therfore acordynge vnto youre woordes he with whom it is found shalbe my seruaunte: but ye shalbe harmelesse.
11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
And attonce euery man toke downe his sacke to the grounde ad every man opened his sacke.
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 serched and began at the eldest and left at the yongest. And the cuppe was founde in Ben Iamins sacke.
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 euery man his asse and went agayne vnto the cytie.
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 Iuda and his brethre came to Iosephs house for he was yet there ad they fell before him on the grounde.
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 Ioseph sayde vnto the: what dede is this which ye haue done? wist ye not that soch a man as I can prophesie?
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 sayde Iuda: what shall we saye vnto my lorde what shall we speake or what excuse can we make? God hath founde out ye wekednesse of thy seruauntes. Beholde both we and he with whom the cuppe is founde are thy seruauntes.
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 answered: God forbyd ye I shulde do so the man with whom the cuppe is founde he shalbe my seruaunte: but goo ye in peace vn to youre 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 Iuda went vnto him and sayde: oh my lorde let thy servaunte speake a worde in my lordes audyence and be not wrooth with thi servaunte: for thou art euen as Pharao.
19 You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
My lorde axed his seruaunte sainge: haue 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 answered my lord we haue a father that is old and a yonge lad which he begat in his age: ad the brother of the sayde lad is dead and he is all that is left of that mother. And his father loueth 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.’
Then sayde my lorde vnto his seruauntes brynge him vnto me that I maye sett myne eyes apon 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 answered my lorde that the lad coude not goo from his father for if he shulde leaue his father he were but a deed man.
23 But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
Than saydest thou vnto thy servauntes: excepte youre yongest brother come with you loke that ye se my face no moare.
24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
And when we came vnto thy servaunt oure father we shewed him what my lorde had sayde.
25 [Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
And when oure father sayde vnto vs goo agayne and bye vs a litle fode:
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.’
we sayd yt we coude not goo. Neverthelesse if oure youngeste brother go with vs then will we goo for we maye not see the mannes face excepte oure yongest brother be with vs.
27 Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
Then sayde thy servaunt oure father vnto vs. Ye knowe that my wyfe bare me. ij. sonnes.
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 it is sayde of a suertie that he is torne in peaces of wyld beastes and I sawe him not sence.
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)
Yf ye shall take this also awaye fro me and some mysfortune happen apon him then shall ye brynge my gray heed with sorow vnto the grave. (Sheol h7585)
30 “So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
Now therfore whe I come to thy servaunt my father yf the lad be not with me: seinge that his lyfe hageth by the laddes lyfe
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 as soone as he seeth that the lad is not come he will dye. So shall we thy servautes brynge the gray hedde of thy servaunt oure father with sorow vnto 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 I thy servaunt became suertie for the lad vnto my father and sayde: yf I bringe him not vnto the agayne. I will bere the blame all my life loge.
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 therfore let me thy servaunt byde here for ye lad and be my lordes bondman: and let the lad goo home with his brethern.
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 goo vnto my father and the lad not wyth me: lest I shulde see the wretchednes that shall come on my father.
