Genesis 44
1 Præcepit autem Ioseph dispensatori domus suæ, dicens: Imple saccos eorum frumento, quantum possunt capere: et pone pecuniam singulorum in summitate sacci.
Joseph ordered his household supervisor, “Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they can hold and put each man's money at the top of his sack.
2 Scyphum autem meum argenteum, et pretium quod dedit tritici, pone in ore sacci iunioris. Factumque est ita.
Then put my special silver cup at the top of the sack of the youngest, along with the money for his grain.” He did as Joseph told him.
3 Et orto mane, dimissi sunt cum asinis suis.
At sunrise they were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4 Iamque urbem exierant, et processerant paululum: tunc Ioseph accersito dispensatore domus, Surge, inquit, et persequere viros: et apprehensis dicito: Quare reddidistis malum pro bono?
They had hardly left the city when Joseph told his household supervisor, “Go after those men, and when you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you paid back good with evil by stealing my master's silver cup?
5 Scyphus, quem furati estis, ipse est in quo bibit dominus meus, et in quo augurari solet: pessimam rem fecistis.
This is the cup he personally drinks from, and which he uses for divination. What you've done is really evil!’”
6 Fecit ille ut iusserat. Et apprehensis per ordinem locutus est.
When he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had said.
7 Qui responderunt: Quare sic loquitur dominus noster, ut servi tui tantum flagitii commiserint?
“My lord, what are you saying?” they replied. “We your servants wouldn't do anything like that!
8 Pecuniam, quam invenimus in summitate saccorum, reportavimus ad te de terra Chanaan: et quomodo consequens est ut furati simus de domo domini tui aurum vel argentum?
Remember that we brought back the money we found at the top of our sacks when we returned from Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?
9 Apud quemcumque fuerit inventum servorum tuorum quod quæris, moriatur, et nos erimus servi domini nostri.
If any one of us is found with it, he shall die, and all of us will become your slaves.”
10 Qui dixit eis: Fiat iuxta vestram sententiam: apud quemcumque fuerit inventus, ipse sit servus meus, vos autem eritis innoxii.
“Whatever you say,” the man replied, “but only the one found with it will become my slave since the rest of you will be free of any blame.”
11 Itaque festinato deponentes in terram saccos, aperuerunt singuli.
They all unloaded their sacks and put them on the ground. They each opened their own sacks.
12 Quos scrutatus, incipiens a maiore usque ad minimum, invenit scyphum in sacco Beniamin.
The household supervisor searched the sacks, beginning with the oldest and working his way down to the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
13 At illi, scissis vestibus, oneratisque rursum asinis, reversi sunt in oppidum.
The brothers tore their clothes in grief. Then they loaded their sacks back on their donkeys and headed back to the city.
14 Primusque Iudas cum fratribus ingressus est ad Ioseph (necdum enim de loco abierat) omnesque ante eum pariter in terram corruerunt.
Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.
15 Quibus ille ait: Cur sic agere voluistis? an ignoratis quod non sit similis mei in augurandi scientia?
“Why did you do this?” Joseph asked. “Don't you know a man like me can find out things through divination?”
16 Cui Iudas: Quid respondebimus, inquit, domino meo? vel quid loquemur aut iuste poterimus obtendere? Deus invenit iniquitatem servorum tuorum: en omnes servi sumus domini mei, et nos, et apud quem inventus est scyphus.
“My lord, what can we say?” Judah replied. “How can we explain this to you? In what way can we prove our innocence? God has exposed the guilt of your servants. My lord, we are your slaves—all of us, including the one who was found with the cup.”
17 Respondit Ioseph: Absit a me ut sic agam: qui furatus est scyphum, ipse sit servus meus: vos autem abite liberi ad patrem vestrum.
“I wouldn't do anything like that!” Joseph replied. “Only the man who was found with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to return to your father.”
18 Accedens autem propius Iudas, confidenter ait: Oro domini mi, loquatur servus tuus verbum in auribus tuis, et ne irascaris famulo tuo: tu es enim post Pharaonem
Judah came closer and said to him, “If you please, my lord, let your servant just say a word. Please don't become angry with your servant, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.
19 Interrogasti dominus meus prius servos tuos: Habetis patrem, aut fratrem?
My lord, previously you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20 et nos respondimus tibi domino meo: Est nobis pater senex, et puer parvulus, qui in senectute illius natus est; cuius uterinus frater mortuus est: et ipsum solum habet mater sua, pater vero tenere diliget eum.
We told you, my lord, ‘We have an elderly father, and a younger brother, born when our father was already old. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's children left, and his father loves him dearly.’
21 Dixistique servis tuis: Adducite eum ad me, et ponam oculos meos super illum.
Then you ordered us, ‘Bring him here to me so I can see him.’
22 Suggessimus domino meo: Non potest puer relinquere patrem suum: si enim illum dimiserit, morietur.
We told you, ‘The boy can't leave his father; if he did, his father would die.’
23 Et dixisti servis tuis: Nisi venerit frater vester minimus vobiscum, non videbitis amplius faciem meam.
But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother doesn't come with you, you won't see me again.’
24 Cum ergo ascendissemus ad famulum tuum patrem nostrum, narravimus ei omnia quæ locutus est dominus meus.
So when we went back to your servant, our father, we explained to him everything you had told us.
25 Et dixit pater noster: Revertimini, et emite nobis parum tritici.
However, later on, our father told us, ‘Go back and buy some more food.’
26 Cui diximus: Ire non possumus: si frater noster minimus descenderit nobiscum, proficiscemur simul: alioquin illo absente, non audemus videre faciem viri.
But we said, ‘There's no way we can go back unless Benjamin our youngest brother goes with us, because we won't be able to see the man if Benjamin isn't with us.’
27 Ad quæ ille respondit: Vos scitis quod duos genuerit mihi uxor mea.
Then my father said to us, ‘You realize that my wife had two sons for me.
28 Egressus est unus, et dixistis: Bestia devoravit eum: et hucusque non comparet.
One is no more, ripped to pieces no doubt, for I've never seen him since.
29 Si tuleritis et istum, et aliquid ei in via contigerit, deducetis canos meos cum mœrore ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)
If you take this one away from me too, and something bad happens to him, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 Igitur si intravero ad servum tuum patrem nostrum, et puer defuerit, (cum anima illius ex huius anima pendeat)
So if the boy isn't with us when I go back to my father, whose life depends on the life of the boy,
31 videritque eum non esse nobiscum, morietur, et deducent famuli tui canos eius cum dolore ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)
as soon as he sees the boy isn't there he'll die, and we will really send this old man, our father, to his grave in grief. (Sheol h7585)
32 Ego proprie servus tuus sim qui in meam hunc recepi fidem, et spopondi dicens: Nisi reduxero eum, peccati reus ero in patrem meum omni tempore.
In fact I gave myself as the guarantee for the boy to my father. I told him, ‘If I don't bring him back to you, then I will always carry the blame!’
33 Manebo itaque servus tuus pro puero in ministerio domini mei, et puer ascendat cum fratribus suis.
So please let me stay here as my lord's slave instead of the boy. Let him go back home with his brothers.
34 Non enim possum redire ad patrem meum, absente puero: ne calamitatis, quæ oppressura est patrem meum, testis assistam.
For how could I ever go back to my father if the boy wasn't with me? I couldn't stand seeing the anguish that would cause my father.”
