Genesis 44

1 And he commandeth him who [is] over his house, saying, 'Fill the bags of the men [with] food, as they are able to bear, and put the money of each in the mouth of his bag;

And he 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 mouth.

2 and my cup, the silver cup, thou dost put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his corn-money;' and he doth according to the word of Joseph which he hath spoken.

And put my goblet, the silver goblet, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.' And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

3 The morning is bright, and the men have been sent away, they and their asses —

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

4 they have gone out of the city — they have not gone far off — and Joseph hath said to him who [is] over his house, 'Rise, pursue after the men; and thou hast overtaken them, and thou hast said unto them, Why have ye recompensed evil for good?

And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward: 'Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them: Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

5 Is not this that with which my lord drinketh? and he observeth diligently with it; ye have done evil [in] that which ye have done.'

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

6 And he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto them these words,

And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words.

7 and they say unto him, 'Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word;

And they said unto him: 'Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

8 lo, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back unto thee from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of thy lord silver or gold?

Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, 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 whomsoever of thy servants it is found, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.'

With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.'

10 And he saith, 'Now, also, according to your words, so it [is]; he with whom it is found becometh my servant, and ye are acquitted;'

And he said: 'Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.'

11 and they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag;

Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

12 and he searcheth — at the eldest he hath begun, and at the youngest he hath completed — and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 and they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn back to the city.

And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

14 And Judah — his brethren also — cometh in unto the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall before him to the earth;

And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground.

15 and Joseph saith to them, 'What [is] this deed that ye have done? have ye not known that a man like me doth diligently observe?'

And Joseph said unto them: 'What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?'

16 And Judah saith, 'What do we say to my lord? what do we speak? and what — do we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; lo, we [are] servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found;'

And Judah said: 'What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.'

17 and he saith, 'Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he becometh my servant; and ye, go ye up in peace unto your father.'

And he said: 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.'

18 And Judah cometh nigh unto him, and saith, 'O, my lord, let thy servant speak, I pray thee, a word in the ears of my lord, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant — for thou art as Pharaoh.

Then Judah came near unto him, and said: 'Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

19 My lord hath asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father or brother?

My lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a brother?

20 and we say unto my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one; and his brother died, and he is left alone of his mother, and his father hath loved him.

And we said unto 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 loveth him.

21 'And thou sayest unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, and I set mine eye upon him;

And thou saidst unto thy servants: Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

22 and we say unto my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he hath left his father, then he hath died;

And we said unto my lord: The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

23 and thou sayest unto thy servants, If your young brother come not down with you, ye add not to see my face.

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

24 'And it cometh to pass, that we have come up unto thy servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

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

25 and our father saith, Turn back, buy for us a little food,

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

26 and we say, We are not able to go down; if our young brother is with us, then we have gone down; for we are not able to see the man's face, and our young brother not with us.

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

27 'And thy servant my father saith unto us, Ye — ye have known that two did my wife bare to me,

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

28 and the one goeth out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn — torn! and I have not seen him since;

and the one went out from me, and I said: Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since;

29 when ye have taken also this from my presence, and mischief hath met him, then ye have brought down my grey hairs with evil to sheol. (Sheol h7585)

and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

30 'And now, at my coming in unto thy servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),

Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul;

31 then it hath come to pass when he seeth that the youth is not, that he hath died, and thy servants have brought down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to sheol; (Sheol h7585)

it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

32 for thy servant obtained the youth by surety from my father, saying, If I bring him not in unto thee — then I have sinned against my father all the days.

For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

33 'And now, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the youth a servant to my lord, and the youth goeth up with his brethren,

Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

34 for how do I go up unto my father, and the youth not with me? lest I look on the evil which doth find my father.'

For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.'