| King James Bible | NET Bible |
| 1And 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. | 1He instructed the servant who was over his household, "Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. |
| 2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. | 2Then put my cup--the silver cup--in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the money for his grain." He did as Joseph instructed. |
| 3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. | 3When morning came, the men and their donkeys were sent off. |
| 4And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? | 4They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to the servant who was over his household, "Pursue the men at once! When you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? |
| 5Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. | 5Doesn't my master drink from this cup and use it for divination? You have done wrong!'" |
| 6And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. | 6When the man overtook them, he spoke these words to them. |
| 7And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: | 7They answered him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! |
| 8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? | 8Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? |
| 9With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. | 9If one of us has it, he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves!" |
| 10And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. | 10He replied, "You have suggested your own punishment! The one who has it will become my slave, but the rest of you will go free." |
| 11Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. | 11So each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. |
| 12And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. | 12Then the man searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack! |
| 13Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. | 13They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. |
| 14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. | 14So Judah and his brothers came back to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. |
| 15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? | 15Joseph said to them, "What did you think you were doing? Don't you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?" |
| 16And Judah said, What shall we say unto 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. | 16Judah replied, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has exposed the sin of your servants! We are now my lord's slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found." |
| 17And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. | 17But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of you may go back to your father in peace." |
| 18Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. | 18Then Judah approached him and said, "My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you. Please do not get angry with your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh. |
| 19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? | 19My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' |
| 20And we said unto 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. | 20We said to my lord, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young boy who was born when our father was old. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' |
| 21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. | 21"Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him.' |
| 22And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. | 22We said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die.' |
| 23And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. | 23But you said to your servants, 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.' |
| 24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. | 24When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. |
| 25And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. | 25"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy us a little food.' |
| 26And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. | 26But we replied, 'We cannot go down there. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, for we won't be permitted to see the man's face if our youngest brother is not with us.' |
| 27And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: | 27"Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife gave me two sons. |
| 28And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: | 28The first disappeared and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." I have not seen him since. |
| 29And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. | 29If you take this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair in tragedy to the grave.' |
| 30Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; | 30"So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us--his very life is bound up in his son's life. |
| 31It 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. | 31When he sees the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. |
| 32For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. | 32Indeed, your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.' |
| 33Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. | 33"So now, please let your servant remain as my lord's slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers. |
| 34For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father. | 34For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn't bear to see my father's pain." |
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