Genesis 44
1 When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, “Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry [on their donkeys]. And put in the top of each man’s sack the silver that he paid for the grain.
Joseph ordered his household supervisor, “Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they can hold and put each man's money at the top of his sack.
2 Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.
Then put my special silver cup at the top of the sack of the youngest, along with the money for his grain.” He did as Joseph told him.
3 The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
At sunrise they were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4 When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, “Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, ‘We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?
They had hardly left the city when Joseph told his household supervisor, “Go after those men, and when you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you paid back good with evil by stealing my master's silver cup?
5 [You have stolen the cup] that my master drinks from [RHQ]! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!’”
This is the cup he personally drinks from, and which he uses for divination. What you've done is really evil!’”
6 The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
When he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had said.
7 But one of them replied to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!
“My lord, what are you saying?” they replied. “We your servants wouldn't do anything like that!
8 We even brought back to you from Canaan land the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So (we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house!/Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?) [RHQ]
Remember that we brought back the money we found at the top of our sacks when we returned from Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?
9 If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
If any one of us is found with it, he shall die, and all of us will become your slaves.”
10 The man replied, “Okay, I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home.”
“Whatever you say,” the man replied, “but only the one found with it will become my slave since the rest of you will be free of any blame.”
11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
They all unloaded their sacks and put them on the ground. They each opened their own sacks.
12 Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother’s sack and ended with the youngest one’s sack. And he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack and showed it to them.
The household supervisor searched the sacks, beginning with the oldest and working his way down to the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
13 The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
The brothers tore their clothes in grief. Then they loaded their sacks back on their donkeys and headed back to the city.
14 When Judah and his [older and younger] brothers entered Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.
Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.
15 He said to them, “Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?” [RHQ]
“Why did you do this?” Joseph asked. “Don't you know a man like me can find out things through divination?”
16 Judah replied, “Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we (are innocent/did not steal the cup)? God has (paid us back/punished us) for the sins [we committed many years ago]. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.”
“My lord, what can we say?” Judah replied. “How can we explain this to you? In what way can we prove our innocence? God has exposed the guilt of your servants. My lord, we are your slaves—all of us, including the one who was found with the cup.”
17 But Joseph replied, “No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully.”
“I wouldn't do anything like that!” Joseph replied. “Only the man who was found with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to return to your father.”
18 Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.
Judah came closer and said to him, “If you please, my lord, let your servant just say a word. Please don't become angry with your servant, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.
19 You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
My lord, previously you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20 We answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an [older] brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’
We told you, my lord, ‘We have an elderly father, and a younger brother, born when our father was already old. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's children left, and his father loves him dearly.’
21 Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.’
Then you ordered us, ‘Bring him here to me so I can see him.’
22 We said to you, ‘No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die from sorrow.’
We told you, ‘The boy can't leave his father; if he did, his father would die.’
23 But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother doesn't come with you, you won't see me again.’
24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
So when we went back to your servant, our father, we explained to him everything you had told us.
25 [Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
However, later on, our father told us, ‘Go back and buy some more food.’
26 But we said, ‘We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.’
But we said, ‘There's no way we can go back unless Benjamin our youngest brother goes with us, because we won't be able to see the man if Benjamin isn't with us.’
27 Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
Then my father said to us, ‘You realize that my wife had two sons for me.
28 One of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.
One is no more, ripped to pieces no doubt, for I've never seen him since.
29 I am an old gray-haired man. If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me to die because of my sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)
If you take this one away from me too, and something bad happens to him, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 “So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
So if the boy isn't with us when I go back to my father, whose life depends on the life of the boy,
31 If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow. (Sheol h7585)
as soon as he sees the boy isn't there he'll die, and we will really send this old man, our father, to his grave in grief. (Sheol h7585)
32 I guaranteed/promised to my father that the boy would return safely. I told him, ‘You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it is my fault) [for not bringing him back to you].’
In fact I gave myself as the guarantee for the boy to my father. I told him, ‘If I don't bring him back to you, then I will always carry the blame!’
33 “So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.
So please let me stay here as my lord's slave instead of the boy. Let him go back home with his brothers.
34 (I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me!/How can I return to my father if the boy is not with me?) [RHQ] I do not want to see how miserable/sad my father would become!”
For how could I ever go back to my father if the boy wasn't with me? I couldn't stand seeing the anguish that would cause my father.”
