Genesis 44
1
And he commanded the one over his house, saying, Fill the sacks of the men with
food, as much as they are able to carry; and put the silver of each one in the
mouth of his sack. 2 And put my cup, the cup of silver, in the mouth of the
sack of the youngest, and the silver for his grain. And he did according to
Joseph's word, that which he spoke. 3 At the morning light, the men were sent
away, they and their asses. 4 They had gone out from the city, not having gone
far, and Joseph said to the one over his house, Rise up, pursue the men and
overtake them, and say to them, Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is this
not that in which my lord is accustomed to drink, and divining he divines by
it? You have done evil in what you have done. 6 And he overtook them and spoke
these words to them. 7 And they said to him, Why should my lord speak according
to these words? Far be it from your servants to do according to this word. 8
Behold! The silver which we found in the mouth of our sacks, we returned to you
from the land of Canaan. And how should we steal silver or gold from the house
of your lord? 9 With whomever it may be found, with him of your servants, he
shall die; and we also will become slaves to my lord. 10 And he said, Now also
let it be according to your words; with whomever it is found with him, he shall
become a slave to me, and you shall be innocent. 11 And they hurried, and each
one brought down his sack to the earth. And each one opened his sack. 12 And he
searched, with the oldest first, and with the youngest last, and the cup was
found in the sack of Benjamin. 13 And they tore their clothes; and they each
one loaded his ass and returned to the city. 14 And Judah and his brothers came
to Joseph's house, and he was still there. And they fell before him to the
earth. 15 And Joseph said to them, What is this deed which you have done? Did
you not know that a man like me would practice divination? 16 And Judah said,
What can we say to my lord? What can we speak, and in what can we justify
ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are
slaves to my lord, both we and he in whose hand the cup was found. 17 And he
said, Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose hand the cup was found, he
shall become a slave to me; and you go up in peace to your father. 18 And Judah
came near to him and said, O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in
the ears of my lord, and let not your anger glow on your servant, for you are
like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Is there a brother or a
father to you? 20 And we said to my lord, An aged father is to us, and a young
child of his old age; and his brother is dead; and he alone is left of his
mother; and his father loves him. 21 And you said to your servants, Bring him
down to me, and let me see him. 22 And we said to my lord, The youth is not
able to leave his father; and if he should leave his father, he will die. 23
And you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come down with
you, you shall not see my face any more. 24 And it happened, when we had gone
up to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our
father said, Go back, buy a little food for us. 26 And we said, We cannot go
down. If our youngest brother is with us, we will go down. For we cannot see
the face of the man if our youngest brother is not with us. 27 And your
servant, my father, said to us, You know that my wife bore two to me. 28 And
one went out from me. And I said, Indeed, torn he is torn in pieces; and I have
not seen him until now. 29 And if you take this one also from my face, and harm
happen to him, you will bring down my gray hair to the grave in sorrow. 30 And
now when I come to your servant, my father, and the youth is not with us and
his soul being bound to his soul, 31 it will be when he sees that the youth is
not, he will die. And your servants will bring down the gray hair of your
servant our father to the grave in sorrow. 32 For your servant was surety for
the youth with my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, I shall be a
sinner against my father all the days. 33 And now please let your servant
remain as a slave to my lord instead of the youth; and let the youth go up with
his brothers. 34 For how can I go to my father, and the youth not be with me,
lest I look on the evil which will find my father?