Genesis 44

1¶ And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill these men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth;

2and put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with the money of his wheat. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

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

4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Rise up, follow after those men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Why have ye rewarded evil for good?

5 Is this not the one in which my lord drinks and in which indeed he divines? Ye have done evil in so doing.

6When he overtook them, he spoke unto them these same words.

7And they said unto him, Why saith my lord these words? In no wise should thy slaves do according to this thing.

8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan; how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?

9With whoever of thy slaves it is found, both let him die and we also will be my lord’s bond slaves.

10And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and ye shall be blameless.

11Then they made haste, and each one took his sack down to the ground, and each one opened his sack.

12And he searched and began at the eldest and finished at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13Then they rent their clothes, and each one laded his ass, and they returned to the city.

14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house, for he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground.

15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

16Then Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of thy slaves; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup is found.

17And he said, in no wise should I do so; but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my slave; and as for you, go up in peace unto your father.

18¶ Then Judah came near unto him and said, Oh my lord, let thy slave, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy slave; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

19My lord asked his slaves, saying, Have ye a father or a brother?

20And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a young man of his old age, yet a lad; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.

21And thou didst say unto thy slaves, Bring him down unto me that I may set my eyes upon him.

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

23And thou didst say unto thy slaves, Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy slave my father, we told him the words of my lord.

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

26And we said, We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.

27Then thy slave my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;

28and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces, and I have not seen him since;

29and if ye take this one also from me and some disaster should befall him, ye shall bring my gray hairs with sorrow down to Sheol.

30Now therefore when I come to thy slave my father, and the lad is not with us, seeing that his soul is bound up in the lad’s soul,

31it shall come to pass when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy slaves shall bring the gray hairs of thy slave our father down with sorrow to Sheol.

32For thy slave became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the sin before my father for ever.

33Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy slave remain instead of the lad as a bond slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren.

34For how shall I go up to my father and the lad not be with me? I cannot go lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.

The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International

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Genesis 44

CHAPTER 44

1Forsooth Joseph commanded the dispenser of his house, and said, Fill thou their sacks with wheat, as much as they may take, and put thou the money of each in the height [or the top] of the sack;

2forsooth put thou in the sack’s mouth of the youngest my silver cup, and the price of the wheat which he gave; and it was done so.

3And when the morrowtide arose, they were delivered with their asses.

4And now they had gone out of the city, and had gone forth a little; then Joseph said, when the dispenser of his house was called, Rise thou, pursue the men, and say thou when they be taken, Why have ye yielded evil for good?

5The cup, which ye have stolen, is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine; ye have done a full wicked thing.

6He did as Joseph commanded, and when they were overtaken, he spake by order these things;

7the which answered, Why speaketh our lord so, that thy servants have done so great a trespass?

8We brought again to thee from the land of Canaan the money that we found in the height [or the top] of our sacks, and how is it pursuing [or following] that we have stolen from thy lord’s house gold or silver?

9At whomever of thy servants this that thou seekest is found, die he, and we shall be servants of my lord.

10Which said to them, Be it done by your sentence; at whom it is found, be he my servant; forsooth ye shall be guiltless.

11And so they did down hastily their sacks on the earth, and all they opened them,

12the which he sought through; and he began at the most till to the least, and he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

13And when they had rent their clothes, and had charged again their asses, they turned again into the city.

14And Judah entered with his brethren to Joseph; for Joseph had not gone yet from the place; and all they fell together on the earth before him.

15To whom he said, Why would ye do so? whether ye wot not, that none is like me in the knowing of divining?

16To whom Judah said, What shall we answer to my lord, or what shall we speak, either what may we justly against-say? God hath found the wickedness of thy servants; lo! all we be the servants of my lord, both we and he at whom the cup is found.

17Joseph answered, Far be it from me, that I do so; he be my servant that stole the cup; forsooth go ye free to your father.

18Soothly Judah nighed near, and said trustily, My lord, I pray thee, thy servant speak a word in thine ears, and be thou not wroth to thy servant; for after Pharaoh thou art my lord.

19Thou askedest first thy servants, Have ye a father, or a brother?

20And we answered to my lord, An eld [or old] father is to us, and a little child that was born in his eld age, whose brother of the same womb is dead, and his mother hath him alone; forsooth his father loveth him tenderly.

21And thou saidest to thy servants, Bring ye him to me, and I shall set mine eyes on him.

22We made suggestion to thee, my lord, the child may not forsake his father; for if he shall leave his father, his father shall die.

23And thou saidest to thy servants, If your youngest brother shall not come down with you, ye shall no more see my face.

24Therefore when we had gone up to thy servant, our father, we told to him all things which my lord spake to us;

25and our father said, Turn ye again, and buy ye to you a little of wheat;

26to whom we said, We may not go; only if our least brother shall go down with us, we shall go forth together; else, if he is absent, we dare not see the lord’s face.

27To which things our father answered, Ye know that my wife childed two sons to me;

28one went out, and ye said, A beast [hath] devoured him, and hither-to he appeareth not;

29if ye take also this son, and anything befall to him in the way, ye shall lead forth mine hoar hairs with mourning to hells [or to hell].

30Therefore if I enter again to thy servant, our father, and the child fail to be with us, since his life hangeth of the life of the child,

31and he see that the child is not with us, he shall die, and thy servants shall lead forth his hoar hairs with sorrow to hells [or to hell].

32Be I properly thy servant, which received this child on my faith, and I promised, and said, If I shall not bring again him to thee, I shall be guilty of sin against my father in all time;

33and so I shall dwell thy servant for the child into the service of my lord, and the child go up with his brethren;

34for I may not go again to my father, if the child be absent, lest I stand a witness of the wretchedness that shall oppress my father.

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