Genesis 44

1 And he commaunded the rueler of his house saynge: fyll the mens sackes with food as moch as they can carie

Then he gave orders to the servant who was over his house, saying, Put as much food into the men's bags as will go into them, and put every man's money in the mouth of his bag;

2 and put euery mans money in his bagge mouth and put my syluer cuppe in the sackes mouth of the yongest and his corne money also. And he dyd as Ioseph had sayde.

And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said.

3 And in ye mornynge as soone as it was lighte the me were let goo with their asses.

And at dawn the men, with their asses, were sent away.

4 And when they were out of the cytie and not yet ferre awaye Ioseph sayde vnto the ruelar of his house: vp and folowe after the men and ouertake them and saye vnto them: wherefore haue ye rewarded euell for good?

And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?

5 is that not the cuppe of which my lorde drynketh ad doth he not prophesie therin? ye haue euell done that ye haue done.

Is not this the cup from which my lord takes wine and by which he gets knowledge of the future? Truly, you have done evil.

6 And he ouertoke them and sayde the same wordes vnto them.

So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 And they answered him: wherfore sayth my lorde soch wordes? God forbydd that thy servauntes shulde doo so.

And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:

8 Beholde the money which we founde in oure sackes mouthes we brought agayne vnto the out of the lande of Canaa: how then shulde we steale out of my lordes house ether syluer or golde?

See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 with whosoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde let him dye and let vs also be my lordes bondmen.

If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.

10 And he sayde: Now therfore acordynge vnto youre woordes he with whom it is found shalbe my seruaunte: but ye shalbe harmelesse.

And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible.

11 And attonce euery man toke downe his sacke to the grounde ad every man opened his sacke.

Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

12 And he serched and began at the eldest and left at the yongest. And the cuppe was founde in Ben Iamins sacke.

And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.

13 Then they rent their clothes and laded euery man his asse and went agayne vnto the cytie.

Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.

14 And Iuda and his brethre came to Iosephs house for he was yet there ad they fell before him on the grounde.

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was still there: and they went down on their faces before him.

15 And Ioseph sayde vnto the: what dede is this which ye haue done? wist ye not that soch a man as I can prophesie?

And Joseph said, What is this thing which you have done? had you no thought that such a man as I would have power to see what is secret?

16 Then sayde Iuda: what shall we saye vnto my lorde what shall we speake or what excuse can we make? God hath founde out ye wekednesse of thy seruauntes. Beholde both we and he with whom the cuppe is founde are thy seruauntes.

And Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.

17 And he answered: God forbyd ye I shulde do so the man with whom the cuppe is founde he shalbe my seruaunte: but goo ye in peace vn to youre father.

Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace.

18 Then Iuda went vnto him and sayde: oh my lorde let thy servaunte speake a worde in my lordes audyence and be not wrooth with thi servaunte: for thou art euen as Pharao.

Then Judah came near him, and said, Let your servant say a word in my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be burning against your servant: for you are in the place of Pharaoh to us.

19 My lorde axed his seruaunte sainge: haue ye a father or a brother?

My lord said to his servants, Have you a father or a brother?

20 And we answered my lord we haue a father that is old and a yonge lad which he begat in his age: ad the brother of the sayde lad is dead and he is all that is left of that mother. And his father loueth him.

And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.

21 Then sayde my lorde vnto his seruauntes brynge him vnto me that I maye sett myne eyes apon him.

And you said to your servants, Let him come down to me with you, so that I may see him.

22 And we answered my lorde that the lad coude not goo from his father for if he shulde leaue his father he were but a deed man.

And we said to my lord, His father will not let him go; for if he went away his father would come to his death.

23 Than saydest thou vnto thy servauntes: excepte youre yongest brother come with you loke that ye se my face no moare.

But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come with you, you will not see my face again.

24 And when we came vnto thy servaunt oure father we shewed him what my lorde had sayde.

And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.

25 And when oure father sayde vnto vs goo agayne and bye vs a litle fode:

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

26 we sayd yt we coude not goo. Neverthelesse if oure youngeste brother go with vs then will we goo for we maye not see the mannes face excepte oure yongest brother be with vs.

And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.

27 Then sayde thy servaunt oure father vnto vs. Ye knowe that my wyfe bare me. ij. sonnes.

And our father said to us, You have knowledge that my wife gave me two sons;

28 And the one went out from me and it is sayde of a suertie that he is torne in peaces of wyld beastes and I sawe him not sence.

The one went away from me, and I said, Truly he has come to a violent death; and from that time I have not seen him,

29 Yf ye shall take this also awaye fro me and some mysfortune happen apon him then shall ye brynge my gray heed with sorow vnto the grave. (Sheol h7585)

If now you take this one from me, and some evil comes to him, you will make my grey head go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

30 Now therfore whe I come to thy servaunt my father yf the lad be not with me: seinge that his lyfe hageth by the laddes lyfe

If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,

31 then as soone as he seeth that the lad is not come he will dye. So shall we thy servautes brynge the gray hedde of thy servaunt oure father with sorow vnto the grave. (Sheol h7585)

When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

32 For I thy servaunt became suertie for the lad vnto my father and sayde: yf I bringe him not vnto the agayne. I will bere the blame all my life loge.

For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

33 Now therfore let me thy servaunt byde here for ye lad and be my lordes bondman: and let the lad goo home with his brethern.

So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.

34 For how can I goo vnto my father and the lad not wyth me: lest I shulde see the wretchednes that shall come on my father.

For how may I go back to my father without the boy, and see the evil which will come on my father?