Genesis 44
44
1Then 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, 2and 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. 3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their asses. 4When 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?#44.4 Gk Compare Vg: Heb lacks Why have you stolen my silver cup? 5Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he divines? You have done wrong in so doing.’ ”
6When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. 7They 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! 8Behold, 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? 9With whomever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves.” 10He 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.” 11Then every man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and every man opened his sack. 12And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13Then they rent their clothes, and every man loaded his ass, and they returned to the city.
14When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there; and they fell before him to the ground. 15Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed divine?” 16And 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.” 17But 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.”
18Then 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. 19My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20And 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.’ 21Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.’ 22We said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’ 24When we went back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord. 25And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ 26we 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.’ 27Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28one left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces; and I have never seen him since. 29If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol.’ 30Now 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, 31when 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. 32For 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.’ 33Now 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. 34For 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.”
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
Genesis 44
44
1Afterward he commanded his steward, saying, Fill the mens sackes with foode, as much as they can carry, and put euery mans money in his sackes mouth. 2And put my cup, I meane the siluer cup, in the sackes mouth of the yongest, and his corne money. And he did according to the commandement that Ioseph gaue him. 3And in the morning the men were sent away, they, and their asses. 4And when they went out of the citie not farre off, Ioseph sayd to his stewarde, Vp, follow after the men: and when thou doest ouertake them, say vnto them, Wherefore haue ye rewarded euill for good? 5Is that not the cuppe, wherein my Lord drinketh? and in the which he doeth deuine and prophecie? ye haue done euill in so doing. 6And when he ouertooke them, he sayde those wordes vnto them. 7And they answered him, Wherefore sayeth my lorde such wordes? God forbid that thy seruants should do such a thing. 8Behold, the money which we found in our sackes mouthes, wee brought againe to thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steale out of thy lordes house siluer or golde? 9With whomesoeuer of thy seruants it bee found, let him dye, and we also will be my lordes bondmen. 10And he said, Now then let it be according vnto your wordes: he with whome it is found, shall be my seruant, and ye shalbe blamelesse. 11Then at once euery man tooke downe his sacke to the grounde, and euery one opened his sacke. 12And he searched, and began at the eldest and left at the yongest: and the cuppe was found in Beniamins sacke. 13Then they rent their clothes, and laded euery man his asse, and went againe into the citie. 14So Iudah and his brethren came to Iosephs house (for he was yet there) and they fel before him on the ground. 15Then Ioseph sayd vnto them, What acte is this, which ye haue done? know ye not that such a man as I, can deuine and prophecie? 16Then sayd Iudah, What shall we say vnto my lord? what shall we speake? and howe can we iustifie our selues? God hath found out the wickednesse of thy seruants: beholde, we are seruants to my Lord, both wee, and he, with whome the cuppe is founde. 17But he answered, God forbid, that I should doe so, but the man, with whome the cuppe is founde, he shalbe my seruant, and go ye in peace vnto your father. 18Then Iudah drewe neere vnto him, and sayde, O my Lord, let thy seruant nowe speake a worde in my lordes eares, and let not thy wrath be kindled against thy seruant: for thou art euen as Pharaoh. 19My Lord asked his seruants, saying, Haue ye a father, or a brother? 20And we answered my Lord, We haue a father that is olde, and a young childe, which he begate in his age: and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loueth him. 21Now thou saidest vnto thy seruants, Bring him vnto me, that I may set mine eye vpon him. 22And we answered my lord, The childe can not depart from his father: for if he leaue his father, his father would die. 23Then saydest thou vnto thy seruants, Except your yonger brother come downe with you, looke in my face no more. 24So when we came vnto thy seruant our father, and shewed him what my lord had sayd, 25And our father sayde vnto vs, Goe againe, bye vs a litle foode, 26Then we answered, We can not go downe: but if our yongest brother go with vs, then will we go downe: for we may not see the mans face, except our yongest brother be with vs. 27Then thy seruant my father sayde vnto vs, Ye knowe that my wife bare me two sonnes, 28And the one went out from me, and I said, Of a suretie he is torne in pieces, and I sawe him not since. 29Nowe yee take this also away from me: if death take him, then yee shall bring my graye head in sorowe to the graue. 30Nowe therefore, when I come to thy seruant my father, and the childe be not with vs (seeing that his life dependeth on the childes life) 31Then when hee shall see that the childe is not come, he will die: so shall thy seruants bring the graye head of thy seruant our father with sorowe to the graue. 32Doubtlesse thy seruant became suertie for the childe to my father, and said, If I bring him not vnto thee againe, then I will beare the blame vnto my father for euer. 33Nowe therefore, I pray thee, let me thy seruant bide for the childe, as a seruant to my Lord, and let the childe go vp with his brethren. 34For how can I go vp to my father, if the childe be not with me, vnlesse I woulde see the euil that shall come on my father?
PUBLIC DOMAIN