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.

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 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 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 asses.

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

4 [And] when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye 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 in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye 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 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words.

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

7 And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy 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 unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?

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 whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.

With whoever of your servants you shall find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord.

10 And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall 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 hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

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

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 searched, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, 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 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

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

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

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 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath 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 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 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 unto 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 unto 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 art 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 ye a father, or a brother?

Sir, you asked your servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother?

20 And we said unto 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 loveth 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 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

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

22 And we said unto my lord, The lad 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 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall 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 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy 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 And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.

And our father said, Go again, and buy 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, except our youngest brother be 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 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

And your servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bore 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:

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 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 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 thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’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 come to pass, when he seeth that the lad 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)

—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 thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

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, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

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 shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall 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.