Genesis 44

1 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

4 And when they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Arise, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say to them, Why have ye rewarded evil for good?

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?

5 Is not this the cup in which my lord drinketh, and by which indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

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.

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

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

7 And they said to him, Why saith my lord these words? Far be it from us that thy servants should do according to this thing:

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

8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to thee from the land of Canaan: how then should we steal from thy lord’s house silver or gold?

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?

9 With whomever of thy servants it shall be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.

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

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

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.

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

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

12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and stopped at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

13 Then they tore their clothes, and loaded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.

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

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

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.

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

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.

16 And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

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.

17 And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, go in peace to your father.

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.

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, O my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thy anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.

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,

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

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

20 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 loveth him.

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.

21 And thou saidst to thy servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.

And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.

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

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

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

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

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

Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

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

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

26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother shall be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother shall be with us.

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.

27 And thy servant my father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore me two sons:

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

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

One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not.

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

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)

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

Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him, )

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

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)

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

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.

33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad return with his brethren.

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.

34 For how shall I return to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest perhaps I see the evil that shall come on my father.

For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.