Genesis 44
44
A Silver Cup in a Sack
1Joseph told the manager of his house what to do. “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry,” he said. “Put each man’s money in his sack. 2Then put my silver cup in the youngest one’s sack. Put it there along with the money he paid for his grain.” So the manager did what Joseph told him to do.
3When morning came, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4They hadn’t gone very far from the city when Joseph spoke to his manager. “Go after those men right away,” he said. “Catch up with them. Say to them, ‘My master was good to you. Why have you paid him back by doing evil? 5Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from? Doesn’t he also use it to find things out? You have done an evil thing.’ ”
6When the manager caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had said. 7But they said to him, “Why do you say these things? We would never do anything like that! 8We even brought back to you from Canaan the money we found in our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9If you find out that any of us has the cup, he will die. And the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10“All right, then,” he said. “As you wish. The one found to have the cup will become my slave. But the rest of you will not be blamed.”
11Each of them quickly put his sack down on the ground and opened it. 12Then the manager started to search. He began with the oldest and ended with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13When that happened, they were so upset they tore their clothes. Then all of them loaded their donkeys and went back to the city.
14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in. They threw themselves down on the ground in front of him. 15Joseph said to them, “What have you done? Don’t you know that a man like me has ways to find things out?”
16“What can we say to you?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove we haven’t done anything wrong? God has shown you that we are guilty. We are now your slaves. All of us are, including the one found to have the cup.”
17But Joseph said, “I would never do anything like that! Only the man found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.”
18Then Judah went up to him. He said, “Please, sir. Let me speak a word to you. Don’t be angry with me, even though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19You asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20We answered, ‘We have an old father. A young son was born to him when he was old. His brother is dead. He’s the only one of his mother’s sons left. And his father loves him.’
21“Then you said to us, ‘Bring him down to me. I want to see him for myself.’ 22We said to you, ‘The boy can’t leave his father. If he does, his father will die.’ 23But you told us, ‘Your youngest brother must come down here with you. If he doesn’t, you won’t see my face again.’ 24So we went back to my father. We told him what you had said.
25“Then our father said, ‘Go back. Buy a little more food.’ 26But we said, ‘We can’t go down. We’ll only go if our youngest brother goes there with us. We can’t even see the man’s face unless our youngest brother goes with us.’
27“Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife had two sons by me. 28One of them went away from me. And I said, “He must have been torn to pieces.” I haven’t seen him since. 29What if you take this one from me too and he is harmed? Then you would cause me to die as a sad old man. I would go down into the grave full of pain and suffering.’
30“So now, what will happen if the boy isn’t with us when I go back to my father? His life depends on the boy’s life. 31When he sees that the boy isn’t with us, he’ll die. Because of us, he’ll go down into the grave as a sad old man. 32I promised my father I would keep the boy safe. I said, ‘Father, I’ll bring him back to you. If I don’t, you can put the blame on me for the rest of my life.’
33“Now then, please let me stay here. Let me be your slave in place of the boy. Let the boy return with his brothers. 34How can I go back to my father if the boy isn’t with me? No! Don’t let me see the pain and suffering that would come to my father.”
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Genesis 44: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Genesis 44
44
1And 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.
2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Yosef had spoken.
3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
4 [And] when they were gone out of the city, [and] not [yet] far off, Yosef said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when youi do overtake them, say unto them, For what reason have youf rewarded evil for good?
5 [Is] not this [it] in which my lord drinks, and whereby indeed he divines? You1sf have done evil in so doing.
6And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these same words.
7And they said unto him, For what reason says my lord these words? God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] forbid that youri servants should do according to this thing:
8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto youi out of the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues): how then should we steal out of youri lord’s house silver or gold?
9With whomsoever of youri servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.
10And he said, Now also [let] it [be] according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and youf shall be blameless.
11Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
12And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Binyamin’s (this son is strength) sack.
13Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.
14And Y’hudah (Let the Powerful One be Praised [Yah]) and his brethren came to Yosef’s (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) house; for he [was] yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
15And Yosef said unto them, What deed [is] this that you1sf have done? know you1sf not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
16And Y’hudah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] has found out the iniquity of youri servants: behold, we [are] my lord’s servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found.
17And he said, God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] forbid that I should do so: [but] the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get youi up in peace unto your father.
18Then Y’hudah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let youi servant, I pray youi, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not youri anger burn against youri servant: for youi [are] even as Pharaoh (Great House).
19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have youf a father, or a brother?
20And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.
21And youi said unto youi servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set my eyes upon him.
22And we said unto my lord, The boy cannot leave his father: for [if] he should leave his father, [his father] would die.
23And youi said unto youi servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, youf shall see my face no more.
24And it came to pass when we came up unto youri servant 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 be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother [be] with us.
27And youri servant my father said unto us, You1sf 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 saw him not since:
29If you1sf take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you1sf shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
30Now therefore when I come to youri servant my father, and the boy [be] not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the boy’s life;
31It shall come to pass, when he sees that the boy [is] not [with us], that he will die: and youri servants shall bring down the gray hairs of youri servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32For youri servant became surety for the boy unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto youi, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever.
33Now therefore, I pray youi, let youri servant abide instead of the boy a bondman (slave) to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brethren.
34For how shall I go up to my father, and the boy [be] not with me? lest perhaps I see the evil that shall come on my father.
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