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.

And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his 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.

And put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said.

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

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

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 when they had gone out of the city, [and] were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and you shall overtake them, and say to them, 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.’”

Why have you stolen my silver cup? is it not this out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; you have accomplished evil in that which you have done.

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

And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.

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 said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from your servants to do according to this word.

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?

If we brought back to you out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of your lord?

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

With whoever of your servants you shall find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our 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, Now then it shall be as you say; with whoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and you shall be clear.

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

And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack.

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

And he searched, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and 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.

And they tore their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.

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

And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him.

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 Joseph said to them, What is this thing that you have done? know you not that a man such as I can surely divine?

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 Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? whereas God has discovered the unrighteousness of your servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been 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.”

And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do you go up with safety 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.

And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let your servant speak a word before you, and be not angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharao.

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

Sir, you asked your servants, saying, Have you 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 said to [my] lord, We have a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him.

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

And you said to they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.

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

And we said to [my] lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die.

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

But you said to they servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, you shall not see my face again.

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

And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.

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

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

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, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us.

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

And your servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two [sons];

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

and one is departed from me; and you said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.

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 then you take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall you bring down my old age with sorrow 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;

Now then, if I should go in to they servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this [lad's] life)

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).

—it shall even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, [that] he will die, and your servants will bring down the old age of your servant, and our father, 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.’

For your servant has received the boy [in charge] from his father, saying, If I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards my father for ever.

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.

Now then I will remain a servant with you instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up with his brethren.

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 how shall I go up to my father, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall my father.