Γένεσις 44
1 καὶ ἐνετείλατο Ιωσηφ τῷ ὄντι ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ λέγων πλήσατε τοὺς μαρσίππους τῶν ἀνθρώπων βρωμάτων ὅσα ἐὰν δύνωνται ἆραι καὶ ἐμβάλατε ἑκάστου τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ μαρσίππου
When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, “Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry [on their donkeys]. And put in the top of each man’s sack the silver that he paid for the grain.
2 καὶ τὸ κόνδυ μου τὸ ἀργυροῦν ἐμβάλατε εἰς τὸν μάρσιππον τοῦ νεωτέρου καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ σίτου αὐτοῦ ἐγενήθη δὲ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα Ιωσηφ καθὼς εἶπεν
Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.
3 τὸ πρωὶ διέφαυσεν καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀπεστάλησαν αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ ὄνοι αὐτῶν
The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
4 ἐξελθόντων δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν πόλιν οὐκ ἀπέσχον μακράν καὶ Ιωσηφ εἶπεν τῷ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ ἀναστὰς ἐπιδίωξον ὀπίσω τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ καταλήμψῃ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς τί ὅτι ἀνταπεδώκατε πονηρὰ ἀντὶ καλῶν
When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, “Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, ‘We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?
5 ἵνα τί ἐκλέψατέ μου τὸ κόνδυ τὸ ἀργυροῦν οὐ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐν ᾧ πίνει ὁ κύριός μου αὐτὸς δὲ οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνίζεται ἐν αὐτῷ πονηρὰ συντετέλεσθε ἃ πεποιήκατε
[You have stolen the cup] that my master drinks from [RHQ]! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!’”
6 εὑρὼν δὲ αὐτοὺς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα
The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
7 οἱ δὲ εἶπον αὐτῷ ἵνα τί λαλεῖ ὁ κύριος κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα μὴ γένοιτο τοῖς παισίν σου ποιῆσαι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο
But one of them replied to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!
8 εἰ τὸ μὲν ἀργύριον ὃ εὕρομεν ἐν τοῖς μαρσίπποις ἡμῶν ἀπεστρέψαμεν πρὸς σὲ ἐκ γῆς Χανααν πῶς ἂν κλέψαιμεν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ κυρίου σου ἀργύριον ἢ χρυσίον
We even brought back to you from Canaan land the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So (we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house!/Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?) [RHQ]
9 παρ’ ᾧ ἂν εὑρεθῇ τὸ κόνδυ τῶν παίδων σου ἀποθνῃσκέτω καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐσόμεθα παῖδες τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν
If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν καὶ νῦν ὡς λέγετε οὕτως ἔσται ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρ’ ᾧ ἂν εὑρεθῇ τὸ κόνδυ αὐτὸς ἔσται μου παῖς ὑμεῖς δὲ ἔσεσθε καθαροί
The man replied, “Okay, I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home.”
11 καὶ ἔσπευσαν καὶ καθεῖλαν ἕκαστος τὸν μάρσιππον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἤνοιξαν ἕκαστος τὸν μάρσιππον αὐτοῦ
Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
12 ἠρεύνα δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἀρξάμενος ἕως ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν νεώτερον καὶ εὗρεν τὸ κόνδυ ἐν τῷ μαρσίππῳ τῷ Βενιαμιν
Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother’s sack and ended with the youngest one’s sack. And he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack and showed it to them.
13 καὶ διέρρηξαν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἕκαστος τὸν μάρσιππον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ὄνον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν
The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
14 εἰσῆλθεν δὲ Ιουδας καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Ιωσηφ ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ἐκεῖ καὶ ἔπεσον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν
When Judah and his [older and younger] brothers entered Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.
15 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς Ιωσηφ τί τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο ὃ ἐποιήσατε οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνιεῖται ἄνθρωπος οἷος ἐγώ
He said to them, “Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?” [RHQ]
16 εἶπεν δὲ Ιουδας τί ἀντεροῦμεν τῷ κυρίῳ ἢ τί λαλήσωμεν ἢ τί δικαιωθῶμεν ὁ δὲ θεὸς εὗρεν τὴν ἀδικίαν τῶν παίδων σου ἰδού ἐσμεν οἰκέται τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ παρ’ ᾧ εὑρέθη τὸ κόνδυ
Judah replied, “Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we (are innocent/did not steal the cup)? God has (paid us back/punished us) for the sins [we committed many years ago]. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.”
17 εἶπεν δὲ Ιωσηφ μή μοι γένοιτο ποιῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρ’ ᾧ εὑρέθη τὸ κόνδυ αὐτὸς ἔσται μου παῖς ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀνάβητε μετὰ σωτηρίας πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν
But Joseph replied, “No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully.”
18 ἐγγίσας δὲ αὐτῷ Ιουδας εἶπεν δέομαι κύριε λαλησάτω ὁ παῖς σου ῥῆμα ἐναντίον σου καὶ μὴ θυμωθῇς τῷ παιδί σου ὅτι σὺ εἶ μετὰ Φαραω
Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.
19 κύριε σὺ ἠρώτησας τοὺς παῖδάς σου λέγων εἰ ἔχετε πατέρα ἢ ἀδελφόν
You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
20 καὶ εἴπαμεν τῷ κυρίῳ ἔστιν ἡμῖν πατὴρ πρεσβύτερος καὶ παιδίον γήρως νεώτερον αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπέθανεν αὐτὸς δὲ μόνος ὑπελείφθη τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτὸν ἠγάπησεν
We answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an [older] brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’
21 εἶπας δὲ τοῖς παισίν σου καταγάγετε αὐτὸν πρός με καὶ ἐπιμελοῦμαι αὐτοῦ
Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.’
22 καὶ εἴπαμεν τῷ κυρίῳ οὐ δυνήσεται τὸ παιδίον καταλιπεῖν τὸν πατέρα ἐὰν δὲ καταλίπῃ τὸν πατέρα ἀποθανεῖται
We said to you, ‘No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die from sorrow.’
23 σὺ δὲ εἶπας τοῖς παισίν σου ἐὰν μὴ καταβῇ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν ὁ νεώτερος μεθ’ ὑμῶν οὐ προσθήσεσθε ἔτι ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου
But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
24 ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἀνέβημεν πρὸς τὸν παῖδά σου πατέρα δὲ ἡμῶν ἀπηγγείλαμεν αὐτῷ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ κυρίου
When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
25 εἶπεν δὲ ἡμῖν ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν βαδίσατε πάλιν ἀγοράσατε ἡμῖν μικρὰ βρώματα
[Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
26 ἡμεῖς δὲ εἴπαμεν οὐ δυνησόμεθα καταβῆναι ἀλλ’ εἰ μὲν ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν ὁ νεώτερος καταβαίνει μεθ’ ἡμῶν καταβησόμεθα οὐ γὰρ δυνησόμεθα ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ νεωτέρου μὴ ὄντος μεθ’ ἡμῶν
But we said, ‘We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.’
27 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ παῖς σου ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὑμεῖς γινώσκετε ὅτι δύο ἔτεκέν μοι ἡ γυνή
Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
28 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ εἷς ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ εἴπατε ὅτι θηριόβρωτος γέγονεν καὶ οὐκ εἶδον αὐτὸν ἔτι καὶ νῦν
One of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.
29 ἐὰν οὖν λάβητε καὶ τοῦτον ἐκ προσώπου μου καὶ συμβῇ αὐτῷ μαλακία ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ κατάξετέ μου τὸ γῆρας μετὰ λύπης εἰς ᾅδου (Sheol h7585)
I am an old gray-haired man. If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me to die because of my sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 νῦν οὖν ἐὰν εἰσπορεύωμαι πρὸς τὸν παῖδά σου πατέρα δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ τὸ παιδάριον μὴ ᾖ μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐκκρέμαται ἐκ τῆς τούτου ψυχῆς
“So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
31 καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν μὴ ὂν τὸ παιδάριον μεθ’ ἡμῶν τελευτήσει καὶ κατάξουσιν οἱ παῖδές σου τὸ γῆρας τοῦ παιδός σου πατρὸς δὲ ἡμῶν μετ’ ὀδύνης εἰς ᾅδου (Sheol h7585)
If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow. (Sheol h7585)
32 ὁ γὰρ παῖς σου ἐκδέδεκται τὸ παιδίον παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς λέγων ἐὰν μὴ ἀγάγω αὐτὸν πρὸς σὲ καὶ στήσω αὐτὸν ἐναντίον σου ἡμαρτηκὼς ἔσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας
I guaranteed/promised to my father that the boy would return safely. I told him, ‘You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it is my fault) [for not bringing him back to you].’
33 νῦν οὖν παραμενῶ σοι παῖς ἀντὶ τοῦ παιδίου οἰκέτης τοῦ κυρίου τὸ δὲ παιδίον ἀναβήτω μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν
“So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.
34 πῶς γὰρ ἀναβήσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα τοῦ παιδίου μὴ ὄντος μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἵνα μὴ ἴδω τὰ κακά ἃ εὑρήσει τὸν πατέρα μου
(I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me!/How can I return to my father if the boy is not with me?) [RHQ] I do not want to see how miserable/sad my father would become!”
