Genesis 44

1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

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 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his grain money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

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

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

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

4 And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men, and when thou overtake them, say to them, Why have ye rewarded evil for good?

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 Is not this that in which my lord drinks, and how he indeed divines? Ye have done evil in so doing.

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 And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 And they said to him, Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

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 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to thee out of the land of Canaan. How then would we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

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 With whomever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

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 And he said, Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found shall be my bondman, and ye shall be blameless.

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 Then they hurried, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

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

12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

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

13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.

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

14 And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. And he was yet there, and they fell before him on the ground.

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 And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I can indeed divine?

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 And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak, or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of thy servants. Behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.

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 And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman, but as for you, get you up in peace to your father.

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 Then Judah came near to him, and said, Oh, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant, for thou are even as Pharaoh.

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 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

My lord said to his servants, Have you a father or a brother?

20 And 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.

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 And thou said to thy servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.

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

22 And we said to my lord, The young man cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

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 And thou said to thy servants, Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

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

24 And it came to pass when we came up to thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

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

25 And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.

And our father said, Go again and get us a little food.

26 And we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother be with us.

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 And thy servant my father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore me two sons.

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

28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces, and I have not seen him since.

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 And if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. (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 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the young man is not with us, since his life is bound up in the young man's life,

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

31 it will come to pass, when he sees that the young man is not with us, that he will die. And thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (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 For thy servant became surety for the young man to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever.

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 Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide a bondman to my lord instead of the young man, and let the young man go up with his brothers.

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

34 For how shall I go up to my father, if the young man be not with me? Lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.

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