Genesis 44
1 praecepit autem Ioseph dispensatori domus suae 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 tum Ioseph arcessito dispensatore domus surge inquit persequere viros et adprehensis 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 scyphum 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 adprehensis 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 quaeris moriatur et nos servi erimus 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 fiat iuxta vestram sententiam apud quem fuerit inventum 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 in terra pariter 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 iusti 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 propius Iudas confidenter ait oro domine 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 dominus meus interrogasti 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 senecta illius natus est cuius uterinus frater est mortuus et ipsum solum habet mater sua pater vero tenere diligit 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 quae 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 descendet 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 atque 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 conparet
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 maerore 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 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 ministerium 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 absente puero ne calamitatis quae oppressura est patrem meum testis adsistam
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.”
