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 he instructed the manager of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver 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.

Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, along with the silver for his grain." So he did according to the word that Joseph had told him.

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

As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent off along 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?

When they were far from the city, Joseph said to his manager, "Up, go after the men, and when you overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you repaid 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? Isn't it from this that my lord drinks and by which he indeed uses for divination? You have done evil in doing this.'"

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

And he caught up with them and spoke these words to 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.

But they said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they 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?

Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

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

With whomever of your servants it is found, he must die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

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, "Very well, then, it will be as you say. The one with whom it is found will be my slave, but you will be blameless."

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

Then they hurried, and each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened 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 with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

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

Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey 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.

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there, and they fell to 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 deed that you have done? Didn't you know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?"

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 Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered the guilt of your servants. Look, we are my lord's slaves, both we, and the one in whose possession 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.”

But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose possession the cup was found, he will be my slave. But as for you, go up to your father in peace."

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 approached him, and said, "My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not become angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.

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

My lord asked his servants, saying, '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 said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child born when he was old, a little one, and his brother is dead, and he is his mother's only child, and his father loves him.'

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

Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, so that I can see him myself.'

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 boy can't leave his father: for if he should leave 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.'

But you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will 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 happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

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

But our father said, 'Go again, 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.'

We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

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

Then your servant my 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 the one disappeared from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces." And I haven't seen him 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 h7585)

If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. (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,

So now, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy'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 will happen, when he sees that the boy is not with us, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (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 became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

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.

So now, please let your servant remain instead of the boy, a slave to my lord, and 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 how will I go up to my father if the boy isn't with me? I could not bear to see the misery that would come on my father."