Genesis 44 AMPC

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 money in his sack's mouth.

2. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, with his grain money. And [the steward] did according to what Joseph had said.

3. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

4. When they had left the city and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you rewarded evil for good? [Why have you stolen the silver cup?]

5. Is it not my master's drinking cup with which he divines [the future]? You have done wrong in doing this.

6. And the steward overtook them, and he said to them these same words.

7. They said to him, Why does my lord say these things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

8. Note that the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Is it likely then that we would steal from your master's house silver or gold?

9. With whomever of your servants [your master's cup] is found, not only let that one die, but the rest of us will be my lord's slaves.

10. And the steward said, Now let it be as you say: he with whom [the cup] is found shall be my slave, but [the rest of] you shall be blameless.

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

12. And [the steward] searched, beginning with the eldest and stopping with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13. Then they rent their clothes; and after each man had loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city.

14. Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, for he was still there; and they fell prostrate before him.

15. Joseph said to them, What is this thing that you have done? Do you not realize that such a man as I can certainly detect and know by divination [everything you do without other knowledge of it]?

16. And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we reply? Or how shall we clear ourselves, since God has found out and exposed the iniquity of your servants? Behold, we are my lord's slaves, the rest of us as well as he with whom the cup is found.

17. But [Joseph] said, God forbid that I should do that; but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for [the rest of] you, arise and go in peace to your father.

18. Then Judah came close to [Joseph] and said, O my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word to you in private, and let not your anger blaze against your servant, for you are as Pharaoh [so I will speak as if directly to him].

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

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 [offspring], and his father loves him.

21. And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.

22. And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should do so, his father would die.

23. And you told your servants, Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you shall not see my face again.

24. And when we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

25. And our father said, Go again and buy us a little food.

26. But we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man's face except our youngest brother is with us.

27. And your servant my father said to us, You know that [Rachel] my wife bore me two sons:

28. And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since.

29. And if you take this son also from me, and harm or accident should befall him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow and evil to Sheol (the place of the dead).

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

31. When he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die; and your servants will be responsible for his death and will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.

32. For your servant became security for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.

33. Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant remain instead of the youth [to be] a slave to my lord, and let the young man go home with his [half] brothers.

34. For how can I go up to my father if the lad is not with me?–lest I witness the woe and the evil that will come upon my father.