Genesis 44
1 praecepit autem Ioseph dispensatori domus suae 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 tum Ioseph arcessito dispensatore domus surge inquit persequere viros et adprehensis 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 scyphum 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 adprehensis 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 quomodo 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 quaeris moriatur et nos servi erimus 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 fiat iuxta vestram sententiam apud quem fuerit inventum 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 in terra pariter 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 iusti 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 propius Iudas confidenter ait oro domine 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 senecta illius natus est cuius uterinus frater est mortuus et ipsum solum habet mater sua pater vero tenere diligit 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 quae 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 descendet 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 atque 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 conparet
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 maerore ad inferos (Sheol h7585)
If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray 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 gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. (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
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 ministerium 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 absente puero ne calamitatis quae oppressura est patrem meum testis adsistam
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.”
