Genesis 44 Parallel Bible Translations

Genesis 44 ▼
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1 And 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 [grain] money in the mouth of the sack. Then 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, Now 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 Put my [personal] cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his grain money.” And the steward did as Joseph had told him. and 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. Then 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 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4 When they had left the city, and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil [to us] for good [paid to you]? They 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? They 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 Is this not my lord’s drinking cup and the one which he uses for divination? You have done [a great and unforgivable] wrong in doing this.’” Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’” Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’”
6 So the steward overtook them and he said these words to them. When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.
7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak these things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!
8 Please remember, the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Is it likely then that we would steal silver or gold from your master’s house? Behold, 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? We 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 With whomever of your servants your master’s cup is found, let him die, and the rest of us will be my lord’s slaves.” Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants.” If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”
10 And the steward said, “Now let it be as you say; he with whom the cup is found will be my slave, but the rest of you shall be blameless.” He 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.” “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 Then every man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and each man opened his sack [confident the cup would not be found among them]. Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12 The steward searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 Then they tore their clothes [in grief]; and after each man had loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city. Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there; and they fell to the ground before him. When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.
15 Joseph spoke harshly to them, “What is this thing that you have done? Do you not realize that such a man as I can indeed practice divination and foretell [everything you do without outside knowledge of it]?” Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” Joseph 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 So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we reply? Or how can we clear ourselves, since God has exposed the sin and guilt of your servants? Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, the rest of us as well as he with whom the cup is found.” And 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.” “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 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me that I should do that; but the man in whose hand the cup has been found, he will be my servant; and as for [the rest of] you, get up and go in peace to your father.” But 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.” But 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 Then Judah approached him, and said, “O my lord, please let your servant say a word to you in private, and do not let your anger blaze against your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh [so I speak as if directly to him]. Then 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. Then 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 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20 We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a young [brother, Benjamin, the] child of his old age. Now his brother [Joseph] is dead, and he alone is left of [the two sons born of] his mother, and his father loves him.’ And 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.’ And 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 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may actually see him.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’
22 But we said to my lord, ‘The young man cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’
23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you shall not see my face again.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’ But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
24 So when we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. “When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.
25 Our father said, ‘Go back [to Egypt], and buy us a little food.’ And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’
26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down [to Egypt]. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down [there]; for we [were sternly told that we] cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ we 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.’ But 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 Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] bore me [only] two sons. Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 And one [son] went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him since. One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.
29 If you take this one also from me, and harm or an accident happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’ If 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 Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the young man is not with us, since his life is bound up in the young man’s life, “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, “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 when he sees that the young man is not with us, he will die; and your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in [great] sorrow. as 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. sees 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 For your servant became security for the young man to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’ For 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.’ Your 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 Now, therefore, please let your servant (Judah) remain here instead of the youth [to be] a slave to my lord, and let the young man go home with his brothers. Now 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. “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 How can I go up to my father if the young man is not with me—for fear that I would see the tragedy that would overtake my [elderly] father [if Benjamin does not return]?” For 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.” How 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.”
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