Genesis 44

1 And he commaunded the rueler of his house saynge: fyll the mens sackes with food as moch as they can carie

Joseph 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 opening.

2 and put euery mans money in his bagge mouth and put my syluer cuppe in the sackes mouth of the yongest and his corne money also. And he dyd as Ioseph had sayde.

Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's opening of the youngest, and also his money for the grain.” The steward did as Joseph had said.

3 And in ye mornynge as soone as it was lighte the me were let goo with their asses.

The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

4 And when they were out of the cytie and not yet ferre awaye Ioseph sayde vnto the ruelar of his house: vp and folowe after the men and ouertake them and saye vnto them: wherefore haue ye rewarded euell for good?

When they were out of the city but were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you returned evil for good?

5 is that not the cuppe of which my lorde drynketh ad doth he not prophesie therin? ye haue euell done that ye haue done.

Is this not the cup from which my master drinks, and the cup that he uses for divination? You have done evil, this thing that you have done.'”

6 And he ouertoke them and sayde the same wordes vnto them.

The steward overtook them and spoke these words to them.

7 And they answered him: wherfore sayth my lorde soch wordes? God forbydd that thy servauntes shulde doo so.

They said to him, “Why does my master speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they would do such a thing.

8 Beholde the money which we founde in oure sackes mouthes we brought agayne vnto the out of the lande of Canaa: how then shulde we steale out of my lordes house ether syluer or golde?

Look, the money that we found in our sacks' openings, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then could we steal out of your master's house silver or gold?

9 with whosoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde let him dye and let vs also be my lordes bondmen.

With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my master's slaves.”

10 And he sayde: Now therfore acordynge vnto youre woordes he with whom it is found shalbe my seruaunte: but ye shalbe harmelesse.

The steward said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom the cup is found will be my slave, and you others will be innocent.”

11 And attonce euery man toke downe his sacke to the grounde ad every man opened his sacke.

Then each man hurried and brought his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

12 And he serched and began at the eldest and left at the yongest. And the cuppe was founde in Ben Iamins sacke.

The steward searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 Then they rent their clothes and laded euery man his asse and went agayne vnto the cytie.

Then they tore their clothes. Each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14 And Iuda and his brethre came to Iosephs house for he was yet there ad they fell before him on the grounde.

Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they bowed before him to the ground.

15 And Ioseph sayde vnto the: what dede is this which ye haue done? wist ye not that soch a man as I can prophesie?

Joseph said to them, “What is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me practices divination?”

16 Then sayde Iuda: what shall we saye vnto my lorde what shall we speake or what excuse can we make? God hath founde out ye wekednesse of thy seruauntes. Beholde both we and he with whom the cuppe is founde are thy seruauntes.

Judah said, “What can we say to my master? What can we speak? Or how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Look, we are my master's slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup was found.”

17 And he answered: God forbyd ye I shulde do so the man with whom the cuppe is founde he shalbe my seruaunte: but goo ye in peace vn to youre father.

Joseph said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup was found, that person will be my slave, but as for you others, go up in peace to your father.”

18 Then Iuda went vnto him and sayde: oh my lorde let thy servaunte speake a worde in my lordes audyence and be not wrooth with thi servaunte: for thou art euen as Pharao.

Then Judah came near to him and said, “My master, please let your servant speak a word in my master's ears, and do let your anger burn against your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh.

19 My lorde axed his seruaunte sainge: haue ye a father or a brother?

My master asked his servants, saying, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'

20 And we answered my lord we haue a father that is old and a yonge lad which he begat in his age: ad the brother of the sayde lad is dead and he is all that is left of that mother. And his father loueth him.

We said to my master, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one. But his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.'

21 Then sayde my lorde vnto his seruauntes brynge him vnto me that I maye sett myne eyes apon him.

Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may see him.'

22 And we answered my lorde that the lad coude not goo from his father for if he shulde leaue his father he were but a deed man.

After that, we said to my master, 'The boy cannot leave his father. For if he should leave his father his father would die.'

23 Than saydest thou vnto thy servauntes: excepte youre yongest brother come with you loke that ye se my face no moare.

Then you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'

24 And when we came vnto thy servaunt oure father we shewed him what my lorde had sayde.

Then it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my master.

25 And when oure father sayde vnto vs goo agayne and bye vs a litle fode:

Our father said, 'Go again, buy us some food.'

26 we sayd yt we coude not goo. Neverthelesse if oure youngeste brother go with vs then will we goo for we maye not see the mannes face excepte oure yongest brother be with vs.

Then we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down, for we will not be able to see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

27 Then sayde thy servaunt oure father vnto vs. Ye knowe that my wyfe bare me. ij. sonnes.

Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.

28 And the one went out from me and it is sayde of a suertie that he is torne in peaces of wyld beastes and I sawe him not sence.

One of them went out from me and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces, and I have not seen him since.”

29 Yf ye shall take this also awaye fro me and some mysfortune happen apon him then shall ye brynge my gray heed with sorow vnto the grave. (Sheol h7585)

Now if you also take this one from me, and harm comes to him, you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.' (Sheol h7585)

30 Now therfore whe I come to thy servaunt my father yf the lad be not with me: seinge that his lyfe hageth by the laddes lyfe

Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy's life,

31 then as soone as he seeth that the lad is not come he will dye. So shall we thy servautes brynge the gray hedde of thy servaunt oure father with sorow vnto the grave. (Sheol h7585)

it will come about, when he sees the boy is not with us, he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

32 For I thy servaunt became suertie for the lad vnto my father and sayde: yf I bringe him not vnto the agayne. I will bere the blame all my life loge.

For your servant became a guarantee for the boy to my father and said, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the guilt to my father forever.'

33 Now therfore let me thy servaunt byde here for ye lad and be my lordes bondman: and let the lad goo home with his brethern.

Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy as slave to my master, and let the boy go up with his brothers.

34 For how can I goo vnto my father and the lad not wyth me: lest I shulde see the wretchednes that shall come on my father.

For how can I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I am afraid to see the evil that would come on my father.”