English Standard Version

Christian Standard 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,

1Joseph commanded his steward, "Fill the men's bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one's silver at the top of his bag.

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, at the top of the youngest one's bag, along with the silver for his grain." So he did as Joseph told him.

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

3At morning light, the men were sent off 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 very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

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

5Isn't this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wrong!'"

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

6When he overtook them, he said 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!

7They said to him, "Why does my lord say these things? 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 at the top of our bags. How could 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 it is found with one of us, your servants, he must die, and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves."

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.”

10The steward replied, "What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless."

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 tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey 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 reached Joseph's house, he was still there. 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 you have done?" Joseph said to them. "Didn't you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?"

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 your servants' iniquity. We are now my lord's slaves--both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found."

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.”

17Then Joseph said, "I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father."

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.

18But Judah approached him and said, "My lord, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.

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 my lord, '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 said to your servants, 'Bring him to me so that I can see him.'

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

22But 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.’

23Then you said to your servants, 'If your younger brother does not come down with you, you will not see me again.'

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

24"This is what happened when we went back to your servant my father: We reported to him the words of my lord.

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

25But our father said, 'Go again, and buy us a little 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.’

26We told him, 'We cannot go down unless our younger brother goes with us. If our younger brother isn't with us, we cannot see the man.'

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

27Your 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.

28One is gone from me--I said he must have been torn to pieces--and I have never seen him again.

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

29If you also take this one from me and anything happens to him, you will bring my gray hairs 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,

30"So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us--his life is wrapped up with 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.

31when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs 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.’

32Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, 'If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.'

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 remain here as my lord's slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back 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 grief that would overwhelm my father."

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.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.