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 he commanded the superintendent of his house, saying, Fill the sacks of these men with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in the mouth 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 my cup, the silver cup, thou shalt put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and the money for his corn. And he did according to the word of Joseph which he had spoken.

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

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and 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?

They were gone out of the city, not yet far off, when Joseph said unto the superintendent of his house, Up, follow after the men; and when thou hast overtaken them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye 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.’”

Is not this out of which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

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

And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these 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 said unto him, Wherefore will my lord speak such words as these? God forbid that thy servants should do any thing like this.

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?

Behold the money, which we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

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 it be found, let him die; and we also will be bondmen unto thy 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, Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; but ye shall be blameless.

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

And they made haste, and every one of them took down his sack to the ground, and every one opened his sack.

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

And he searched, at the eldest he began, and at the youngest he left off; and the cup was found 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 clothes, and every one loaded his ass, and they returned to the city.

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

And Judah and his brothers came into Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they 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 Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? knew ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

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 Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold we are servants unto my lord, both we, as also he in whose hand 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.”

And he said, God forbid that I should do this: the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, go you up in peace unto 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 Judah came near unto him, and said, Pardon, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thy anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

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

My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye 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 said unto my lord, We have an old father, and a little child born in his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

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

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set my eye upon 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.’

And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, he would 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 unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall not see my face any more.

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

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

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

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

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, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

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

And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;

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

And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he hath been torn to pieces; and I have not seen him up to this time.

29 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)

And if ye take this one also from me, and mischief befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (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;

And now, when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

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

It will come to pass, that when he seeth that the lad is not with us, he will die: and thy servants would thus bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (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.’

For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I have sinned against my father all the days.

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.

Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad as bond-man to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers.

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 how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? I should perhaps be compelled to witness the evil which would come on my father.