Genesis, 44

1. Then Joseph instructed his chamberlain as follows: 'Fill these men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.

1. 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,

2. And put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack as well as the money for his rations.' He did as Joseph had instructed.

2. 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.

3. At daybreak, the men were sent off with their donkeys.

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

4. They had gone only a little way from the city, when Joseph said to his chamberlain, 'Away now and follow those men. When you catch up with them, say to them, "Why have you repaid good with evil?

4. When they had gone but a short distance from the city, Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, `Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver cup?

5. Is this not what my lord uses for drinking and also for reading omens? What you have done is wrong." '

5. Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he divines? You have done wrong in so doing.'"

6. So when he caught up with them he repeated these words.

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

7. They asked him, 'What does my lord mean? Your servants would never think of doing such a thing.

7. They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

8. Look, we brought you back the money we found in the mouths of our sacks, all the way from Canaan. Are we likely to have stolen silver or gold from your master's house?

8. Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; how then should we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

9. Whichever of your servants is found to have it shall die, and the rest of us shall be slaves of my lord.'

9. With whomever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

10. 'Very well, then, it shall be as you say,' he replied, 'the one on whom it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you can go free.'

10. He said, "Let it be as you say: he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be blameless."

11. Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his own.

11. Then every man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

12. He searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

12. And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13. Then they tore their clothes, and when each man had reloaded his donkey they returned to the city.

13. Then they rent their clothes, and every man loaded his ass, and they returned to the city.

14. When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph's house he was still there, so they fell on the ground in front of him.

14. When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there; and they fell before him to the ground.

15. 'What do you mean by doing this?' Joseph asked them. 'Did you not know that a man such as I am is a reader of omens?'

15. Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed divine?"

16. 'What can we answer my lord?' Judah replied. 'What can we say? How can we clear ourselves? God himself has uncovered your servants' guilt. Here we are then, my lord's slaves, we no less than the one in whose possession the cup was found.'

16. 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 slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found."

17. 'I could not think of doing such a thing,' he replied. 'The man in whose possession the cup was found shall be my slave, but you can go back unhindered to your father.'

17. 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 slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

18. At this, Judah went up to him and said, 'May it please my lord, let your servant have a word privately with my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.

18. Then Judah went up to him and said, "O my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant; for you are like Pharaoh himself.

19. My lord questioned his servants, "Have you father or brother?"

19. My lord asked his servants, saying, `Have you a father, or a brother?'

20. And we said to my lord, "We have an old father, and a younger brother born of his old age. His brother is dead, so he is the only one by that mother now left, and his father loves him."

20. And we said to my lord, `We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children; and his father loves him.'

21. Then you said to your servants, "Bring him down to me, so that I can set eyes on him."

21. Then you said to your servants, `Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.'

22. We replied to my lord, "The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves him, his father will die."

22. We said to my lord, `The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

23. But you said to your servants, "If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not be admitted to my presence again."

23. Then you said to your servants, `Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.'

24. When we went back to your servant my father, we repeated to him what my lord had said.

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

25. So when our father said, "Go back and get us a little food,"

25. And when our father said, `Go again, buy us a little food,'

26. we said, "We cannot go down. We shall go only if our youngest brother is with us for, unless our youngest brother is with us, we shall not be admitted to the man's presence."

26. 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.'

27. So your servant our father said to us, "You know that my wife bore me two children.

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

28. When one of them left me, I supposed that he must have been torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since.

28. one left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces; and I have never seen him since.

29. If you take this one from me too and any harm comes to him, you will send my white head down to Sheol with grief."

29. If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol.'

30. If I go to your servant my father now, and we do not have the boy with us, he will die as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, for his heart is bound up with him;

30. Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the lad's life,

31. and your servants will have sent your servant our father's white head down to Sheol with grief.

31. when he sees that the lad 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.

32. Now your servant went surety to my father for the boy. I said: "If I do not bring him back to you, let me bear the blame before my father all my life."

32. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, `If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame in the sight of my father all my life.'

33. Let your servant stay, then, as my lord's slave in place of the boy, I implore you, and let the boy go back with his brothers.

33. Now therefore, let your servant, I pray you, remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord; and let the lad go back with his brothers.

34. How indeed could I go back to my father and not have the boy with me? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm my father.'

34. For how can I go back to my father if the lad is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would come upon my father."