Genesis 44

1 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.

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.

2 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.

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

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

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

4 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?

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

5 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.’”

Is not this it in which my lord drinks, and whereby indeed he divines? you have done evil in so doing.

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

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

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

And they said to him, Why says my lord these words? God forbid that your servants should do according to this thing:

8 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?

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 out of your lord’s house silver or gold?

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

With whomsoever of your servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.

10 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.”

And he said, Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and you shall be blameless.

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

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

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

And he searched, and began at the oldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

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

Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

14 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.

And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

15 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?”

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

16 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.”

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 your servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

17 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.”

And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace to your father.

18 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.

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

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

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

20 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.’

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.

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

And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.

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

And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

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

And you said to your servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more.

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

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

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

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

26 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.’

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.

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

And your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons:

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

And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

29 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)

And if you take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

30 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)

Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;

31 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)

It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

32 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.’

For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to you, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

33 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.

Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant abide instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers.

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

For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.