Genesis 44

1 And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.

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 in the mouth of the younger’s sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.

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

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

4 And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned 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 The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.

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 did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.

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

7 And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

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 The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver?

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 shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.

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 to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you 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 speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every 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 Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup 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 garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.

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

14 And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place), and they altogether fell down 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 he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.

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 Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was 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 Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free 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 Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,

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. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?

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

20 And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.

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 to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will 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 suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will 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 to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you 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 Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

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, 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 go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man’s face.

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 Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.

And your servant our 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 hitherto he appeareth not.

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 also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (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 Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him, )

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 And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (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 Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against 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 Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy 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 I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress 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.