Genesis 44

1 Joseph 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 opening.

Then Joseph instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Fill their sacks with grain, as much as they are able to hold. And place each one’s money at the top of the sack.

2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's opening of the youngest, and also his money for the grain.” The steward did as Joseph had said.

But place my silver bowl, and the price that he gave for the wheat, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest.” And so it was done.

3 The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

And when morning arose, they were sent away with their donkeys.

4 When they were out of the city but were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you returned evil for good?

And now they had departed from the city and had set out a short distance. Then Joseph, sending for the steward of his house, said: “Rise up and pursue the men. And when you have overtaken them, say: ‘Why have you returned evil for good?

5 Is this not the cup from which my master drinks, and the cup that he uses for divination? You have done evil, this thing that you have done.'”

The cup that you have stolen, it is that from which my lord drinks, and in which he is accustomed to discern signs. You have done a very sinful thing.’”

6 The steward overtook them and spoke these words to them.

He did as he had been ordered. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them according to the order.

7 They said to him, “Why does my master speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they would do such a thing.

And they responded: “Why does our lord speak in this way, as though your servants had committed such a shameful act?

8 Look, the money that we found in our sacks' openings, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then could we steal out of your master's house silver or gold?

The money, which we found at the top of our sacks, we carried back to you from the land of Canaan. So in what way does it follow that we would steal, from the house of your lord, gold or silver?

9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my master's slaves.”

Whichever of your servants will be found to have what you seek, may he die, and we shall be the servants of my lord.”

10 The steward said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom the cup is found will be my slave, and you others will be innocent.”

And he said to them: “Let it be according to your verdict. With whomever it will be found, let him be my servant, but you will be unharmed.”

11 Then each man hurried and brought his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

And so, they quickly placed their sacks down to the ground, and each one was opened.

12 The steward searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

And when he had searched, beginning with the oldest, all the way to the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

13 Then they tore their clothes. Each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

But they, tearing their garments and burdening their donkeys again, returned to the town.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they bowed before him to the ground.

And Judah, first among his brothers, entered to Joseph (for he had not yet departed from the place) and together they all fell down before him to the ground.

15 Joseph said to them, “What is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me practices divination?”

And he said to them: “Why would you choose to act in this way? Could you be ignorant that there is no one like me in the knowledge of discerning signs?”

16 Judah said, “What can we say to my master? What can we speak? Or how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Look, we are my master's slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup was found.”

And Judah said to him, “What could we answer to my lord? And what would we be able to say, or to justly claim? God has discovered the iniquity of your servants. See, we have all become servants to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.”

17 Joseph said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup was found, that person will be my slave, but as for you others, go up in peace to your father.”

Joseph responded: “Far be it from me that I should act in this way. He who stole the cup, he will be my servant. But you may go away free to your father.”

18 Then Judah came near to him and said, “My master, please let your servant speak a word in my master's ears, and do let your anger burn against your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh.

Then Judah, approaching closer, said confidently: “I beg you, my lord, let your servant speak a word in your ears, and do not be angry with your servant. For you are next to Pharaoh.

19 My master asked his servants, saying, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'

My lord, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20 We said to my master, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one. But his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.'

And we answered you, my lord: ‘There is our father, an old man, and a young boy, who was born in his old age. His brother of the same womb has died, and he alone is left to his mother and father, who truly love him tenderly.’

21 Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may see him.'

And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me, and I will set my eyes on him.’

22 After that, we said to my master, 'The boy cannot leave his father. For if he should leave his father his father would die.'

We suggested to my lord: ‘The boy is not able to leave his father. For if he sends him away, he will die.’

23 Then you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'

And you said to your servants: ‘Unless your youngest brother arrives with you, you will not see my face any more.’

24 Then it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my master.

Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.

25 Our father said, 'Go again, buy us some food.'

And our father said: ‘Return and buy us a little wheat.’

26 Then we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down, for we will not be able to see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

And we said to him: ‘We cannot go. If our youngest brother descends with us, we will set out together. Otherwise, in his absence, we do not dare to see the face of the man.’

27 Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.

To which he responded: ‘You know that my wife conceived twice by me.

28 One of them went out from me and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces, and I have not seen him since.”

One went out, and you said, “A beast devoured him.” And since then, he has not appeared.

29 Now if you also take this one from me, and harm comes to him, you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.' (Sheol h7585)

If you take this one also, and anything happens to him on the way, you will lead my grey hairs down with grief to the grave.’ (Sheol h7585)

30 Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy's life,

Therefore, if I would have gone to your servant, our father, with the boy not present, (though his life depends upon the life of him)

31 it will come about, when he sees the boy is not with us, he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

and if he were to see that he is not with us, he would die, and your servants will lead his grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

32 For your servant became a guarantee for the boy to my father and said, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the guilt to my father forever.'

Let me be your very own servant, for I accepted this one into my trust, and I promised, saying: ‘Unless I lead him back, I will be guilty of a sin against my father for all time.’

33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy as slave to my master, and let the boy go up with his brothers.

And so I, your servant, will remain in place of the boy, in ministry to my lord, and then let the boy go up with his brothers.

34 For how can I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I am afraid to see the evil that would come on my father.”

For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress my father.”