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.

And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his 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.

And put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said.

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

The morning dawned, and 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 had gone out of the city, [and] were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and you shall overtake them, and say to them, 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.'”

Why have you stolen my silver cup? is it not this out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; you have accomplished evil in that which you have done.

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

And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.

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 said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from your servants to do according to this word.

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?

If we brought back to you out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of your lord?

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

With whoever of your servants you shall find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our 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, Now then it shall be as you say; with whoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and you shall be clear.

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

And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack.

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, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

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

And they tore their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.

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

And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him.

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

And Joseph said to them, What is this thing that you have done? know you not that a man such as I can surely divine?

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 Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? whereas God has discovered the unrighteousness of your servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been 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.”

And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do you go up with safety 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.

And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let your servant speak a word before you, and be not angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharao.

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

Sir, you asked your servants, saying, Have you 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 said to [my] lord, We have a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him.

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

And you said to they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of 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 said to [my] lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, 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.'

But you said to they servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, you shall not see my face again.

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

And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.

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

And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.

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, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us.

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

And your servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two [sons];

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 one is departed from me; and you said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.

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 then you take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall you bring down my old age with sorrow 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,

Now then, if I should go in to they servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this [lad's] 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 h7585)

—it shall even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, [that] he will die, and your servants will bring down the old age of your servant, and our father, 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.'

For your servant has received the boy [in charge] from his father, saying, If I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards my father for ever.

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.

Now then I will remain a servant with you instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up 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 shall I go up to my father, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall my father.