| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New International Version |
| 1[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 1Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack. |
| 2[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 2Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Joseph said. |
| 3[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 3As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. |
| 4[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? |
| 5[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 5Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.'" |
| 6[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 6When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. |
| 7[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 7But they said to him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! |
| 8[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? |
| 9[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 9If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves." |
| 10[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 10"Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame." |
| 11[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 11Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. |
| 12[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 12Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. |
| 13[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 13At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city. |
| 14[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. |
| 15[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 15Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?" |
| 16[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 16"What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my lord's slaves--we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup." |
| 17[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 17But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace." |
| 18[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 18Then Judah went up to him and said: "Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. |
| 19[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 19My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' |
| 20[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 20And we answered, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' |
| 21[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 21"Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.' |
| 22[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 22And we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.' |
| 23[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 23But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' |
| 24[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 24When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. |
| 25[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 25"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more food.' |
| 26[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 26But we said, 'We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' |
| 27[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 27"Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. |
| 28[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 28One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And I have not seen him since. |
| 29[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 29If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.' |
| 30[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 30"So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy's life, |
| 31[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 31sees that the boy isn't there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. |
| 32[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 32Your servant guaranteed the boy's safety to my father. I said, 'If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!' |
| 33[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 33"Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. |
| 34[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 34How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father." |
| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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