Genesis 44
1 Præcepit autem Ioseph dispensatori domus suæ, dicens: Imple saccos eorum frumento, quantum possunt capere: et pone pecuniam singulorum in summitate sacci.
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.
2 Scyphum autem meum argenteum, et pretium quod dedit tritici, pone in ore sacci iunioris. factumque est ita.
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.
3 Et orto mane, dimissi sunt cum asinis suis.
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and 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?
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?
5 Scyphus, quem furati estis, ipse est in quo bibit dominus meus, et in quo augurari solet: pessimam rem fecistis.
Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”
6 Fecit ille ut iusserat. Et apprehensis per ordinem locutus est.
He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.
7 Qui responderunt: Quare sic loquitur dominus noster, ut servi tui tantum flagitii commiserint?
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!
8 Pecuniam, quam invenimus in summitate saccorum, reportavimus ad te de terra Chanaan: et quo modo consequens est ut furati simus de domo domini tui aurum vel argentum?
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?
9 Apud quemcumque fuerit inventum servorum tuorum quod quæris, moriatur, et nos erimus servi domini nostri.
With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
10 Qui dixit eis: Fiat iuxta vestram sententiam: apud quemcumque fuerit inventus, ipse sit servus meus, vos autem eritis innoxii.
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.”
11 Itaque festinato deponentes in terram saccos, aperuerunt singuli.
Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
12 Quos scrutatus, incipiens a maiore usque ad minimum, invenit scyphum in sacco Beniamin.
He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 At illi, scissis vestibus, oneratisque rursum asinis, reversi sunt in oppidum.
Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.
14 Primusque Iudas cum fratribus ingressus est ad Ioseph (necdum enim de loco abierat) omnesque ante eum pariter in terram corruerunt.
Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.
15 Quibus ille ait: Cur sic agere voluistis? an ignoratis quod non sit similis mei in augurandi scientia?
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?”
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.
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.”
17 Respondit Ioseph: Absit a me ut sic agam: qui furatus est scyphum, ipse sit servus meus: vos autem abite liberi ad patrem vestrum.
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.”
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
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.
19 dominus meus. Interrogasti prius servos tuos: Habetis patrem, aut fratrem?
My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you 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 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.’
21 Dixistique servis tuis: Adducite eum ad me, et ponam oculos meos super illum.
You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
22 Suggessimus domino meo: Non potest puer relinquere patrem suum: si enim illum dimiserit, morietur.
We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 Et dixisti servis tuis: Nisi venerit frater vester minimus vobiscum, non videbitis amplius faciem meam.
You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’
24 Cum ergo ascendissemus ad famulum tuum patrem nostrum, narravimus ei omnia quæ locutus est dominus meus.
When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 Et dixit pater noster: Revertimini, et emite nobis parum tritici.
Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’
26 Cui diximus: Ire non possumus: si frater noster minimus descenderit nobiscum, proficiscemur simul: alioquin illo absente, non audemus videre faciem viri.
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.’
27 Ad quæ ille respondit: Vos scitis quod duos genuerit mihi uxor mea.
Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 Egressus est unus, et dixistis: Bestia devoravit eum: et hucusque non comparet.
One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t 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 also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 Igitur si intravero ad servum tuum patrem nostrum, et puer defuerit, (cum anima illius ex huius anima pendeat)
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;
31 videritque eum non esse nobiscum, morietur, et deducent famuli tui canos eius cum dolore ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)
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)
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.
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.’
33 Manebo itaque servus tuus pro puero in ministerio domini mei, et puer ascendat cum fratribus suis.
Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers.
34 Non enim possum redire ad patrem meum, absente puero: ne calamitatis, quæ oppressura est patrem meum, testis assistam.
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.”
