Genesis 44

1 Praecepit autem Ioseph dispensatori domus suae, dicens: Imple saccos eorum frumento, quantum possunt capere: et pone pecuniam singulorum in summitate sacci.

Then he gave orders to the servant who was over his house, saying, Put as much food into the men's bags as will go into them, and put every man's money in the mouth of his bag;

2 Scyphum autem meum argenteum, et pretium quod dedit tritici, pone in ore sacci iunioris. factumque est ita.

And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said.

3 Et orto mane, dimissi sunt cum asinis suis.

And at dawn the men, with their asses, were sent away.

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?

And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?

5 Scyphus, quem furati estis, ipse est in quo bibit dominus meus, et in quo augurari solet: pessimam rem fecistis.

Is not this the cup from which my lord takes wine and by which he gets knowledge of the future? Truly, you have done evil.

6 Fecit ille ut iusserat. Et apprehensis per ordinem locutus est.

So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 Qui responderunt: Quare sic loquitur dominus noster, ut servi tui tantum flagitii commiserint?

And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to 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?

See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 Apud quemcumque fuerit inventum servorum tuorum quod quaeris, moriatur, et nos erimus servi domini nostri.

If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.

10 Qui dixit eis: Fiat iuxta vestram sententiam: apud quemcumque fuerit inventus, ipse sit servus meus, vos autem eritis innoxii.

And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible.

11 Itaque festinato deponentes in terram saccos, aperuerunt singuli.

Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

12 Quos scrutatus, incipiens a maiore usque ad minimum, invenit scyphum in sacco Beniamin.

And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.

13 At illi, scissis vestibus, oneratisque rursum asinis, reversi sunt in oppidum.

Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.

14 Primusque Iudas cum fratribus ingressus est ad Ioseph (necdum enim de loco abierat) omnesque ante eum pariter in terram corruerunt.

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was still there: and they went down on their faces before him.

15 Quibus ille ait: Cur sic agere voluistis? an ignoratis quod non sit similis mei in augurandi scientia?

And Joseph said, What is this thing which you have done? had you no thought that such a man as I would have power to see what is secret?

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.

And Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.

17 Responditque Ioseph: Absit a me ut sic agam: qui furatus est scyphum, ipse sit servus meus: vos autem abite liberi ad patrem vestrum.

Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace.

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 him, and said, Let your servant say a word in my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be burning against your servant: for you are in the place of Pharaoh to us.

19 dominus meus. Interrogasti prius servos tuos: Habetis patrem, aut fratrem?

My lord said to his servants, 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.

And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.

21 Dixistique servis tuis: Adducite eum ad me, et ponam oculos meos super illum.

And you said to your servants, Let him come down to me with you, so that I may see him.

22 Suggessimus domino meo: Non potest puer relinquere patrem suum: si enim illum dimiserit, morietur.

And we said to my lord, His father will not let him go; for if he went away his father would come to his death.

23 Et dixisti servis tuis: Nisi venerit frater vester minimus vobiscum, non videbitis amplius faciem meam.

But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come with you, you will not see my face again.

24 Cum ergo ascendissemus ad famulum tuum patrem nostrum, narravimus ei omnia quae locutus est dominus meus.

And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.

25 Et dixit pater noster: Revertimini, et emite nobis parum tritici.

And our father said, Go again and get 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.

And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.

27 Ad quae ille respondit: Vos scitis quod duos genuerit mihi uxor mea.

And our father said to us, You have knowledge that my wife gave me two sons;

28 Egressus est unus, et dixistis: Bestia devoravit eum: et hucusque non comparet.

The one went away from me, and I said, Truly he has come to a violent death; and from that time I have not seen him,

29 Si tuleritis et istum, et aliquid ei in via contigerit, deducetis canos meos cum moerore ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)

If now you take this one from me, and some evil comes to him, you will make my grey head go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

30 Igitur si intravero ad servum tuum patrem nostrum, et puer defuerit, (cum anima illius ex huius anima dependeat)

If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,

31 videritque eum non esse nobiscum, morietur, et deducent famuli tui canos eius cum dolore ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)

When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld. (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 I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

33 Manebo itaque servus tuus pro puero in ministerio domini mei, et puer ascendat cum fratribus suis.

So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.

34 Non enim possum redire ad patrem meum, absente puero: ne calamitatis, quae oppressura est patrem meum, testis assistam.

For how may I go back to my father without the boy, and see the evil which will come on my father?