< 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.
Afterward he commanded his steward, saying, Fill the mens sackes with foode, as much as they can carry, and put euery mans money in his sackes mouth.
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.
And put my cup, I meane the siluer cup, in the sackes mouth of the yongest, and his corne money. And he did according to the commandement that Ioseph gaue him.
3 The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
And in the morning the men were sent away, they, and their asses.
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 when they went out of the citie not farre off, Ioseph sayd to his stewarde, Vp, follow after the men: and when thou doest ouertake them, say vnto them, Wherefore haue ye rewarded euill 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.'”
Is that not the cuppe, wherein my Lord drinketh? and in the which he doeth deuine and prophecie? ye haue done euill in so doing.
6 The steward overtook them and spoke these words to them.
And when he ouertooke them, he sayde those wordes vnto them.
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 answered him, Wherefore sayeth my lorde such wordes? God forbid that thy seruants should do such a thing.
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?
Behold, the money which we found in our sackes mouthes, wee brought againe to thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steale out of thy lordes house siluer or golde?
9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my master's slaves.”
With whomesoeuer of thy seruants it bee found, let him dye, and we also will be my lordes bondmen.
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, Now then let it be according vnto your wordes: he with whome it is found, shall be my seruant, and ye shalbe blamelesse.
11 Then each man hurried and brought his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
Then at once euery man tooke downe his sacke to the grounde, and euery one opened his sacke.
12 The steward searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
And he searched, and began at the eldest and left at the yongest: and the cuppe was found in Beniamins sacke.
13 Then they tore their clothes. Each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
Then they rent their clothes, and laded euery man his asse, and went againe into the citie.
14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they bowed before him to the ground.
So Iudah and his brethren came to Iosephs house (for he was yet there) and they fel before him on 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?”
Then Ioseph sayd vnto them, What acte is this, which ye haue done? know ye not that such a man as I, can deuine and prophecie?
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.”
Then sayd Iudah, What shall we say vnto my lord? what shall we speake? and howe can we iustifie our selues? God hath found out the wickednesse of thy seruants: beholde, we are seruants to my Lord, both wee, and he, with whome the cuppe is founde.
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.”
But he answered, God forbid, that I should doe so, but the man, with whome the cuppe is founde, he shalbe my seruant, and go ye in peace vnto 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 Iudah drewe neere vnto him, and sayde, O my Lord, let thy seruant nowe speake a worde in my lordes eares, and let not thy wrath be kindled against thy seruant: for thou art euen as Pharaoh.
19 My master asked his servants, saying, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'
My Lord asked his seruants, saying, Haue ye 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 my Lord, We haue a father that is olde, and a young childe, which he begate in his age: and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loueth him.
21 Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may see him.'
Now thou saidest vnto thy seruants, Bring him vnto me, that I may set mine eye vpon 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.'
And we answered my lord, The childe can not depart from his father: for if he leaue his father, his father would die.
23 Then you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'
Then saydest thou vnto thy seruants, Except your yonger brother come downe with you, looke in my face no more.
24 Then it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my master.
So when we came vnto thy seruant our father, and shewed him what my lord had sayd,
25 Our father said, 'Go again, buy us some food.'
And our father sayde vnto vs, Goe againe, bye vs a litle foode,
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.'
Then we answered, We can not go downe: but if our yongest brother go with vs, then will we go downe: for we may not see the mans face, except our yongest brother be with vs.
27 Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.
Then thy seruant my father sayde vnto vs, Ye knowe that my wife bare me two sonnes,
28 One of them went out from me and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces, and I have not seen him since.”
And the one went out from me, and I said, Of a suretie he is torne in pieces, and I sawe him not since.
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 )
Nowe yee take this also away from me: if death take him, then yee shall bring my graye head in sorowe to the graue. (Sheol )
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,
Nowe therefore, when I come to thy seruant my father, and the childe be not with vs (seeing that his life dependeth on the childes life)
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 )
Then when hee shall see that the childe is not come, he will die: so shall thy seruants bring the graye head of thy seruant our father with sorowe to the graue. (Sheol )
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.'
Doubtlesse thy seruant became suertie for the childe to my father, and said, If I bring him not vnto thee againe, then I will beare the blame vnto my father for euer.
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.
Nowe therefore, I pray thee, let me thy seruant bide for the childe, as a seruant to my Lord, and let the childe go vp with his brethren.
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 how can I go vp to my father, if the childe be not with me, vnlesse I woulde see the euil that shall come on my father?