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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Genesis 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

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