English Standard Version

Berean Study Bible

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

1Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.

2and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him.

2Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

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

3At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.

4They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

5Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’”

5Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’ ”

6When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words.

6When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.

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

7“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.

8Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?

8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

9Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants.”

9If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”

10He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.”

10“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”

11Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

11So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

12And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

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

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

13Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

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

14When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

15Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?”

15“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”

16And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.”

16“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”

17But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

17But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”

18Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.

18Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself.

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

19My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’

20And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

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

21Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’

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

22So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’

23Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’

23But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

24“When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

24Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.

25And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’

25Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’

26we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

26But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’

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

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

28One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since.

28When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.

29If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’

29Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’

30“Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life,

30So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life,

31as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.

31sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.

32For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’

32Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’

33Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.

33Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.

34For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

34For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

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