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 commanded he him who was over his house saying—Fill the sacks of the men, with food, as much 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.

and my cup—the cup of silver, shalt thou put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his corn-silver. So he did, according to the word of Joseph, which he had spoken.

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

By the time, the morning, was light, the men, had been 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?

They themselves, had gone out of the city—they had not gone far, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Rise chase after the men, —so shalt thou overtake them and shalt say unto them, Wherefore have ye requited 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.'”

Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby, he himself, doth divine? Ye have done evil in what ye have done.

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

So he overtook them, —and spake unto them 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 unto him, Wherefore should my lord speak such words as these? Far be thy servants, from doing such a thing as this!

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?

Lo! the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan, —how then could we steal out of the house of thy lord, silver or gold?

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

With whomsoever of thy servants it can be found, he shall die, —and, we also, will become my lord’s servants.

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, Yea, now, according to your words, so, let it be, —he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, Ye, however, shall be clear.

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

So they hastened and took down each man his sack to the ground, —and opened each 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.

Then made he thorough search, with the eldest, he began, and with the youngest, he ended, —and the cup was found in the sack of Benjamin!

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

And they rent their mantles, —and laded each man 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 Judah and his brethren came into the house of Joseph, he, yet being there, —and fell down before him to the earth.

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 which ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I, can even 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.”

Then said Judah—What shall we say to my lord, how shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, —when, God himself, hath found out the iniquity of thy servants? Behold us! my lord’s servants, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath 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 he said, Far be it from me to do this thing! The man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he, shall be my servant, but as for you, go ye up in peace unto 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 drew near unto him, and said—Pardon my lord! Pray let thy servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let thine anger be kindled against thy servant, —for, thus, art, thou as Pharaoh!

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

It was, my lord, who asked his servants, saying, —Have 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.'

So we said unto my lord, We have an aged father, and the child of his old age a youth, —his brother, being dead, he alone, is left of his mother and, his father, loveth him.

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

So then thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, —that I may set mine eyes upon 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 unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, —as surely as he leaveth his father, so surely will he, die.

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

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother do come down with you, ye shall not again behold my face.

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

So it came to pass when we had gone up unto thy servant, my father, that we told him the words of my lord.

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

Then said our father, —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.'

And we said, We cannot go down, —If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we cannot see the face of the man if, our youngest brother, is not with us.

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

Then said thy servant my father, unto us, —Ye yourselves, know, that, two, did my wife bear to 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.”

and the one went forth from me, and I said—Certainly he hath been, torn in pieces, —And I have never 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)

As surely as ye take, this one also, away from before my face and there befall him any mischief, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs, with misfortune to hades. (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, therefore, as surely as I go in unto thy servant my father, and, the lad, is not with us, —seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad’s soul,

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)

so surely shall it come to pass that when he seeth that the lad is not with us, then will he die. So shall thy servants bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father, with sorrow to hades. (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 thy servant, became surety for the lad, while away from my father saying, —If I bring him not unto thee, then will I count myself a sinner against my father all the days.

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, therefore, I pray thee let thy servant remain instead of the lad, as servant to my lord, —but as for the lad, let him 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 can I go up unto my father, should the lad, not be with me? lest I look on the calamity, that shall find out my father,