Genesis 44:1-29 ▼

1 And he commanded the one over his house, saying, “Fill the bags of the men with food, as much as they are able to carry, and put the silver of each man in the mouth of his bag.

2 And my cup, the silver cup, put in the mouth of the bag of the youngest, and the silver for his grain.” And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

3 The morning was light, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

4 They had gone out of the city, they had not gone far, and Joseph said to the one over his house, “Get up, pursue after the men, and you shall overtake them, and you shall say to them, ‘Why have you? repaid evil for good?

5 Is it not this from which my lord drinks, and he surely divines with it? You? have done evil in that which you? have done.’”

6 And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord speak according to these words? Far be it to your servants from doing according to this word.

8 Behold, the silver that we found in the mouth of our bags, we returned to you from the land of Canaan. And how could we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord?

9 With whomever of your servants it is found, then he shall die, and also we will be to my lord as servants.”

10 And he said, “Also now, according to your? words, so it is; whoever is found with it shall be to me a servant, and you? shall be blameless.”

11 And they hurried, and they lowered each man his bag to the earth, and they opened each man his bag.

12 And he searched—with the oldest he began, and with the youngest he finished. And the cup was found in the bag of Benjamin.

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

14 And Judah and his brothers came to the house of Joseph, and he was still there, and they fell before him on the ground.

15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you? have done? Did you? not know that a man such as I, surely divines?”

16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? And how shall we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are to my lord as servants, both we and also he with whom the cup was found.”

17 And he said, “Far be it to me from doing this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be to me a servant. And you?, go up in peace to your? father.”

18 And Judah came near to him and said, “Please my lord, please let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are like Pharaoh.

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

20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have to us a father, an old man, and a son of his old age, who is young. And his brother died, and he alone is left to his mother, and his father loves him.’

21 And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, and let me set my eye on him.’

22 And we said to my lord, ‘The boy is not able to leave his father, and if he should leave his father, then he shall die.’

23 And you said to your servants, ‘If your? youngest brother does not come down with you?, you? shall not again see my face.’

24 And it came to pass when we went up to your servant, my father, that we told to him the words of my lord.

25 And our father said, ‘Return; buy for us a little food.’

26 And we said, ‘We are not able to go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down. For we are not able to see the face of the man, and our youngest brother is not with us.’

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

28 And the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him until now.

29 And if you? take also this one from my face and harm befalls him, then you? shall bring down my gray hair in evil to Sheol.’