Genesis 44

1 He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

Then commanded he him who was over his house saying—Fill the sacks of the men, with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack;

2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

and my cup—the cup of silver, shalt thou put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his corn-silver. So he did, according to the word of Joseph, which he had spoken.

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

By the time, the morning, was light, the men, had been sent away, they, and their asses.

4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good?

They themselves, had gone out of the city—they had not gone far, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Rise chase after the men, —so shalt thou overtake them and shalt say unto them, Wherefore have ye requited evil for good?

5 Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”

Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby, he himself, doth divine? Ye have done evil in what ye have done.

6 He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

So he overtook them, —and spake unto them these words.

7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

And they said unto him, Wherefore should my lord speak such words as these? Far be thy servants, from doing such a thing as this!

8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house?

Lo! the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan, —how then could we steal out of the house of thy lord, silver or gold?

9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

With whomsoever of thy servants it can be found, he shall die, —and, we also, will become my lord’s servants.

10 He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.”

And he said, Yea, now, according to your words, so, let it be, —he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, Ye, however, shall be clear.

11 Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

So they hastened and took down each man his sack to the ground, —and opened each man his sack.

12 He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

Then made he thorough search, with the eldest, he began, and with the youngest, he ended, —and the cup was found in the sack of Benjamin!

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

And they rent their mantles, —and laded each man his ass, and returned to the city.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

And Judah and his brethren came into the house of Joseph, he, yet being there, —and fell down before him to the earth.

15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”

And Joseph said to them, What is this deed which ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I, can even divine?

16 Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”

Then said Judah—What shall we say to my lord, how shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, —when, God himself, hath found out the iniquity of thy servants? Behold us! my lord’s servants, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found.

17 He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

And he said, Far be it from me to do this thing! The man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he, shall be my servant, but as for you, go ye up in peace unto your father.

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.

Then Judah drew near unto him, and said—Pardon my lord! Pray let thy servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let thine anger be kindled against thy servant, —for, thus, art, thou as Pharaoh!

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’

It was, my lord, who asked his servants, saying, —Have ye a father, or a brother?

20 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 loves him.’

So we said unto my lord, We have an aged father, and the child of his old age a youth, —his brother, being dead, he alone, is left of his mother and, his father, loveth him.

21 You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

So then thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, —that I may set mine eyes upon him.

22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, —as surely as he leaveth his father, so surely will he, die.

23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother do come down with you, ye shall not again behold my face.

24 When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

So it came to pass when we had gone up unto thy servant, my father, that we told him the words of my lord.

25 Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’

Then said our father, —Go again buy us a little food,

26 We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’

And we said, We cannot go down, —If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we cannot see the face of the man if, our youngest brother, is not with us.

27 Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

Then said thy servant my father, unto us, —Ye yourselves, know, that, two, did my wife bear to me,

28 One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since.

and the one went forth from me, and I said—Certainly he hath been, torn in pieces, —And I have never seen him since.

29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ (Sheol h7585)

As surely as ye take, this one also, away from before my face and there befall him any mischief, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs, with misfortune to hades. (Sheol h7585)

30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life;

Now, therefore, as surely as I go in unto thy servant my father, and, the lad, is not with us, —seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad’s soul,

31 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

so surely shall it come to pass that when he seeth that the lad is not with us, then will he die. So shall thy servants bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father, with sorrow to hades. (Sheol h7585)

32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’

For thy servant, became surety for the lad, while away from my father saying, —If I bring him not unto thee, then will I count myself a sinner against my father all the days.

33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

Now, therefore, I pray thee let thy servant remain instead of the lad, as servant to my lord, —but as for the lad, let him go up with his brethren.

34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”

For how can I go up unto my father, should the lad, not be with me? lest I look on the calamity, that shall find out my father,