Genesis 44

1 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.

Then Joseph instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Fill their sacks with grain, as much as they are able to hold. And place each one’s money at the top of the sack.

2 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.

But place my silver bowl, and the price that he gave for the wheat, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest.” And so it was done.

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

And when morning arose, they were sent away with their donkeys.

4 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?

And now they had departed from the city and had set out a short distance. Then Joseph, sending for the steward of his house, said: “Rise up and pursue the men. And when you have overtaken them, say: ‘Why have you returned evil for good?

5 Is not this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”

The cup that you have stolen, it is that from which my lord drinks, and in which he is accustomed to discern signs. You have done a very sinful thing.’”

6 He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

He did as he had been ordered. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them according to the order.

7 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!

And they responded: “Why does our lord speak in this way, as though your servants had committed such a shameful act?

8 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?

The money, which we found at the top of our sacks, we carried back to you from the land of Canaan. So in what way does it follow that we would steal, from the house of your lord, gold or silver?

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

Whichever of your servants will be found to have what you seek, may he die, and we shall be the servants of my lord.”

10 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.”

And he said to them: “Let it be according to your verdict. With whomever it will be found, let him be my servant, but you will be unharmed.”

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

And so, they quickly placed their sacks down to the ground, and each one was opened.

12 He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

And when he had searched, beginning with the oldest, all the way to the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

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

But they, tearing their garments and burdening their donkeys again, returned to the town.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

And Judah, first among his brothers, entered to Joseph (for he had not yet departed from the place) and together they all fell down before him to the ground.

15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do not you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”

And he said to them: “Why would you choose to act in this way? Could you be ignorant that there is no one like me in the knowledge of discerning signs?”

16 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.”

And Judah said to him, “What could we answer to my lord? And what would we be able to say, or to justly claim? God has discovered the iniquity of your servants. See, we have all become servants to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.”

17 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.”

Joseph responded: “Far be it from me that I should act in this way. He who stole the cup, he will be my servant. But you may go away free to your father.”

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.

Then Judah, approaching closer, said confidently: “I beg you, my lord, let your servant speak a word in your ears, and do not be angry with your servant. For you are next to Pharaoh.

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’

My lord, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20 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 answered you, my lord: ‘There is our father, an old man, and a young boy, who was born in his old age. His brother of the same womb has died, and he alone is left to his mother and father, who truly love him tenderly.’

21 You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me, and I will set my eyes on him.’

22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

We suggested to my lord: ‘The boy is not able to leave his father. For if he sends him away, he will die.’

23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’

And you said to your servants: ‘Unless your youngest brother arrives with you, you will not see my face any more.’

24 When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.

25 Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’

And our father said: ‘Return and buy us a little wheat.’

26 We said, ‘We cannot 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.’

And we said to him: ‘We cannot go. If our youngest brother descends with us, we will set out together. Otherwise, in his absence, we do not dare to see the face of the man.’

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

To which he responded: ‘You know that my wife conceived twice by me.

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

One went out, and you said, “A beast devoured him.” And since then, he has not appeared.

29 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).'

If you take this one also, and anything happens to him on the way, you will lead my grey hairs down with grief to the grave.’ (Sheol h7585)

30 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;

Therefore, if I would have gone to your servant, our father, with the boy not present, (though his life depends upon the life of him)

31 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).

and if he were to see that he is not with us, he would die, and your servants will lead his grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’

Let me be your very own servant, for I accepted this one into my trust, and I promised, saying: ‘Unless I lead him back, I will be guilty of a sin against my father for all time.’

33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

And so I, your servant, will remain in place of the boy, in ministry to my lord, and then let the boy go up with his brothers.

34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy is not with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”

For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress my father.”