Genesis 44

1 He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.

2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

And in the mouth of the younger’s sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

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

4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good?

And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?

5 Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”

The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.

6 He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.

7 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!

And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house?

The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver?

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

With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.

10 He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.”

And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.

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

Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

12 He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

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

Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place), and they altogether fell down before him on the ground.

15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”

And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.

16 Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”

And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.

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

Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father.

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.

Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’

My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?

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

And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.

21 You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.

22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die.

23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’

And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.

24 When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

25 Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’

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

26 We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’

And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man’s face.

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

Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.

28 One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since.

One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not.

29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ (Sheol h7585)

If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (Sheol h7585)

30 Now therefore 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;

Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him, )

31 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the grey hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (Sheol h7585)

32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’

Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.

33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.

34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”

For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.