The Genesis
Chapter
44
1 Thereafter, JoSeph gave instructions to his house manager, saying, 'Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put the money of each one in the top of his sack. 2 Also, put my silver cup in the sack that belongs to the youngest, along with the price of his grain.' And he did exactly as JoSeph said. 3 Then the next morning, the men and their burros were sent away.
4 Well, after they left the city (but before they had traveled very far), JoSeph said to his house manager: 'Get up and chase after those men; and when you catch up with them, ask: Why have you returned evil for good… 5 why have you stolen my silver cup? Isn't this the [cup] that our lord drinks from and the one that he uses to foretell the future? You've done an evil thing!'
6 Well, he caught up with them and said what [JoSeph] told him to say. 7 And they replied, 'Why is our lord saying such things? Your servants wouldn't do anything like that. 8 If we returned the money to you that we found in our sacks all the way from the land of CanaAn, why would we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord? 9 Whichever of your servants that you find with the cup, let him die, and then we will be our lord's slaves!'
10 So [JoSeph's house manager] told them: 'May it be just as you've said. The one who is found with the cup will be my slave… but the rest of you can go free.'
11 And each man quickly took down his sack and put it on the ground. Then they each opened their sacks, 12 and he began his search, starting from the eldest to the youngest… and he found the cup in BenJamin's sack. 13 Well, they all started ripping their clothes. Then each man put his sack back on his burro, and they all returned to the city, 14 where Judah and his brothers went to see JoSeph while he was [still at home]. Then they fell to the ground before him, 15 and JoSeph asked them: 'What have you done? Didn't you realize that a man like me can see the future?'
16 And Judah replied: 'What can we say to you, our lord? What can we say that will justify us? God has uncovered the unrighteousness of your servants. Look! We are now our lord's slaves… both us and the one who was found with your cup!'
17 But JoSeph said: 'I wouldn't do anything like that… just the man who was found with my cup will be my slave. [The rest of you] may return home safely to your father.'
18 Then Judah came up to him and said: 'I beg you, sir; Allow your servant to say something to you, and don't get angry, because you are next to Pharaoh. 19 Sir, you once asked your servants whether we have a father or a brother. 20 And we replied, Yes Lord, we have a father who is an old man, and he has a young son of his old age. [The boy's] brother is dead, so he's the only one left who came from his mother, and his father loves him.
21 'Then you said to your servants: Bring him down here to me, and I will take care of him. 22 And we said to our lord, The child can't leave his father, because if he leaves his father, [his father] will die. 23 But you told your servants: Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you won't see my face again. 24 And so, when we went up to your servant our father, we told him what our lord said. 25 Then, when our father said, Return and buy a little food for us, 26 we said, We can't return, unless our younger brother goes with us. We can go there, but we won't be able to see the man unless we bring our younger brother along! 27 And your servant (our father) said to us: You know that my woman gave birth to two [sons] for me. 28 Now, one [of the two] is gone from me. For you told me that wild animals ate him, and I haven't seen him since. 29 So, if you take this one away from me also, and something should happen to him along the road, the sorrow will bring me to the grave in my old age.
30 'Therefore, if I should return to your servant (our father) and the boy doesn't return with us (remember that his life depends on this [boy's] life); 31 well, when he sees that the boy isn't with us, he will die. And then your servants [will be responsible for] bringing your servant (our elderly father) to his grave in his sorrow. 32 For when I (your servant) took the boy from his father, I said, If I don't return him to you and stand him before you, I will be guilty before my father through the age.
33 'Now, may I stay here as your slave instead of the boy. I will work in my lord's house; but let the boy [return home] with his brothers. 34 For, how could I return to my father without the boy and cause evil things to happen to him?'
4 Well, after they left the city (but before they had traveled very far), JoSeph said to his house manager: 'Get up and chase after those men; and when you catch up with them, ask: Why have you returned evil for good… 5 why have you stolen my silver cup? Isn't this the [cup] that our lord drinks from and the one that he uses to foretell the future? You've done an evil thing!'
6 Well, he caught up with them and said what [JoSeph] told him to say. 7 And they replied, 'Why is our lord saying such things? Your servants wouldn't do anything like that. 8 If we returned the money to you that we found in our sacks all the way from the land of CanaAn, why would we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord? 9 Whichever of your servants that you find with the cup, let him die, and then we will be our lord's slaves!'
10 So [JoSeph's house manager] told them: 'May it be just as you've said. The one who is found with the cup will be my slave… but the rest of you can go free.'
11 And each man quickly took down his sack and put it on the ground. Then they each opened their sacks, 12 and he began his search, starting from the eldest to the youngest… and he found the cup in BenJamin's sack. 13 Well, they all started ripping their clothes. Then each man put his sack back on his burro, and they all returned to the city, 14 where Judah and his brothers went to see JoSeph while he was [still at home]. Then they fell to the ground before him, 15 and JoSeph asked them: 'What have you done? Didn't you realize that a man like me can see the future?'
16 And Judah replied: 'What can we say to you, our lord? What can we say that will justify us? God has uncovered the unrighteousness of your servants. Look! We are now our lord's slaves… both us and the one who was found with your cup!'
17 But JoSeph said: 'I wouldn't do anything like that… just the man who was found with my cup will be my slave. [The rest of you] may return home safely to your father.'
18 Then Judah came up to him and said: 'I beg you, sir; Allow your servant to say something to you, and don't get angry, because you are next to Pharaoh. 19 Sir, you once asked your servants whether we have a father or a brother. 20 And we replied, Yes Lord, we have a father who is an old man, and he has a young son of his old age. [The boy's] brother is dead, so he's the only one left who came from his mother, and his father loves him.
21 'Then you said to your servants: Bring him down here to me, and I will take care of him. 22 And we said to our lord, The child can't leave his father, because if he leaves his father, [his father] will die. 23 But you told your servants: Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you won't see my face again. 24 And so, when we went up to your servant our father, we told him what our lord said. 25 Then, when our father said, Return and buy a little food for us, 26 we said, We can't return, unless our younger brother goes with us. We can go there, but we won't be able to see the man unless we bring our younger brother along! 27 And your servant (our father) said to us: You know that my woman gave birth to two [sons] for me. 28 Now, one [of the two] is gone from me. For you told me that wild animals ate him, and I haven't seen him since. 29 So, if you take this one away from me also, and something should happen to him along the road, the sorrow will bring me to the grave in my old age.
30 'Therefore, if I should return to your servant (our father) and the boy doesn't return with us (remember that his life depends on this [boy's] life); 31 well, when he sees that the boy isn't with us, he will die. And then your servants [will be responsible for] bringing your servant (our elderly father) to his grave in his sorrow. 32 For when I (your servant) took the boy from his father, I said, If I don't return him to you and stand him before you, I will be guilty before my father through the age.
33 'Now, may I stay here as your slave instead of the boy. I will work in my lord's house; but let the boy [return home] with his brothers. 34 For, how could I return to my father without the boy and cause evil things to happen to him?'
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