1 He commanded the steward of his
house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with
food, as much as they can carry, and put
each man’s money in his sack’s mouth.
2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s
mouth of the youngest, with his grain
money.” He did according to the word that
Joseph had spoken.
3 As soon as the morning was light, the
men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
4 When they had gone out of the city,
and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his
steward, “Up, follow after the men. When
you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have
you rewarded evil for good?
5 Isn’t this that from which my lord
drinks, and by which he indeed divines?
You have done evil in so doing.’ ”
6 He overtook them, and he spoke these
words to them.
7 They 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!
8 Behold, the money, which we found
in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to
you out of the land of Canaan. How then
should we steal silver or gold out of your
lord’s house?
9 With whomever of your servants it is
found, let him die, and we also will be my
lord’s slaves.” 10 He said, “Now also let it be according to
your words. He with whom it is found will
be my slave; and you will be blameless.”
11 Then they hurried, and each man took
his sack down to the ground, and each man
opened his sack.
12 He searched, beginning with the oldest,
and ending at the youngest. The cup
was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 Then they tore their clothes, and each
man loaded his donkey, and returned to
the city.
14 Judah and his brothers came to
Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They
fell on the ground before him.
15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this
that you have done? Don’t you know that
such a man as I can indeed do divination?” 16 Judah said, “What will we tell my lord?
What will we speak? How will we clear
ourselves? God has found out the iniquity
of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s
slaves, both we and he also in whose hand
the cup is found.”
17 He said, “Far be it from me that I
should do so. The man in whose hand the
cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for
you, go up in peace to your father.”
18 Then Judah came near to him, and
said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant
speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t
let your anger burn against your servant;
for you are even as Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, saying,
‘Have you a father, or a brother?’
20 We said to 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.’ 21 You said to your servants, ‘Bring him
down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
22We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave
his father, for if he should leave his father,
his father would die.’ 23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your
youngest brother comes down with you,
you will see my face no more.’
24 When we came up to your servant my
father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a
little food.’ 26 We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our
youngest brother is with us, then we will
go down: for we may not see the man’s
face, unless our youngest brother is with
us.’ 27 Your servant, my father, said to us,
‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 One went out from me, and I said,
“Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t
seen him since.
29 If you take this one also from me, and
harm happens to him, you will bring down
my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’†
30 Now therefore when I come to your
servant my father, and the boy is not with
us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s
life;
31 it will happen, when he sees that the
boy is no more, that he will die. Your
servants will bring down the gray hairs of
your servant, our father, with sorrow to
Sheol.‡
32 For your servant became collateral for
the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring
him to you, then I will bear the blame to my
father forever.’
33 Now therefore, please let your servant
stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and
let the boy go up with his brothers.
34 For how will I go up to my father, if the
boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that
will come on my father.”
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