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.

Joseph 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 opening.

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.

Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's opening of the youngest, and also his money for the grain.” The steward did as Joseph had 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 donkeys.

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?

When they were out of the city but were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, 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.

Is this not the cup from which my master drinks, and the cup that he uses for divination? You have done evil, this thing that you have done.'”

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

The steward overtook them and spoke these words to them.

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

They said to him, “Why does my master speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they would do such a thing.

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?

Look, the money that we found in our sacks' openings, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then could we steal out of your master's house silver or gold?

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 whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my master's slaves.”

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.

The steward said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom the cup is found will be my slave, and you others will be innocent.”

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

Then each man hurried and brought his sack down to the ground, and each man opened 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.

The steward searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.

Then they tore their clothes. Each man loaded his donkey 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.

Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they bowed before him to the ground.

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.

Joseph said to them, “What is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me practices divination?”

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.

Judah said, “What can we say to my master? What can we speak? Or how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Look, we are my master's slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup was 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.

Joseph said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup was found, that person will be my slave, but as for you others, go up in peace 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,

Then Judah came near to him and said, “My master, please let your servant speak a word in my master's ears, and do let your anger burn against your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh.

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

My master asked his servants, saying, 'Do you have 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.

We said to my master, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one. But his brother is dead, and he alone is left of 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.

Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may see him.'

22 We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die.

After that, we said to my master, 'The boy cannot leave his father. For if he should leave his father his father would die.'

23 And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.

Then you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will 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.

Then it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my master.

25 And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat.

Our father said, 'Go again, buy us some 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.

Then we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down, for we will not be able to see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

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

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 hitherto he appeareth not.

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

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)

Now if you also take this one from me, and harm comes to him, you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.' (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, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy'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 will come about, when he sees the boy is not with us, he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (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 became a guarantee for the boy to my father and said, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the guilt to my father forever.'

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 therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy as slave to my master, and let the boy go up with his brothers.

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 can I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I am afraid to see the evil that would come on my father.”