The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 44 -

And he commands him who [is] over his house, saying, “Fill the bags of the men [with] food, as they are able to carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his bag;

and my cup, the silver cup, you put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his grain-money”; and he does according to the word of Joseph which he has spoken.

The morning is bright, and the men have been sent away, they and their donkeys—

they have gone out of the city—they have not gone far off—and Joseph has said to him who [is] over his house, “Rise, pursue after the men; and you have overtaken them, and you have said to them: Why have you repaid evil for good?

Is this not that with which my lord drinks? And he observes diligently with it; you have done evil [in] that which you have done.”

And he overtakes them, and speaks to them these words,

and they say to him, “Why does my lord speak according to these words? Far be it from your servants to do according to this word;

behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back to you from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of your lord silver or gold?

With whomsoever of your servants it is found, he has died, and we also are to my lord for servants.”

And he says, “Now also, according to your words, so it [is]; he with whom it is found becomes my servant, and you are acquitted”;

and they hurry and take down each his bag to the earth, and each opens his bag;

and he searches—at the eldest he has begun, and at the youngest he has completed—and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

and they tear their garments, and each loads his donkey, and they return to the city.

And Judah and his brothers come to the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall to the earth before him;

and Joseph says to them, “What [is] this deed that you have done? Have you not known that a man like me diligently observes?”

And Judah says, “What do we say to my lord? What do we speak? And how do we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we [are] servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup has been found”;

and he says, “Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup has been found, he becomes my servant; and you, go up in peace to your father.”

Judah Pleads for Benjamin

And Judah comes near to him and says, “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let your anger burn against your servant—for you are as Pharaoh.

My lord has asked his servants, saying, Do you have a father or brother?

And we say to my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one; and his brother died, and he is left alone of his mother, and his father has loved him.

And you say to your servants, Bring him down to me, and I set my eye on him;

and we say to my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he has left his father, then he has died;

and you say to your servants, If your young brother does not come down with you, you do not add to see my face.

And it comes to pass, that we have come up to your servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

and our father says, Return, buy for us a little food,

and we say, We are not able to go down; if our young brother is with us, then we have gone down; for we are not able to see the man’s face, and our young brother not with us.

And your servant my father says to us, You have known that my wife bore two to me,

and one goes out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn—torn! And I have not seen him since;

when you have taken also this from my presence, and harm has met him, then you have brought down my grey hairs with evil to Sheol.

And now, at my coming to your servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),

then it has come to pass, when he sees that the youth is not, that he has died, and your servants have brought down the grey hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol;

for your servant obtained the youth by guarantee to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you—then I have sinned against my father all the days.

And now, please let your servant abide instead of the youth [as] a servant to my lord, and the youth goes up with his brothers,

for how do I go up to my father, and the youth not with me? Lest I look on the evil which finds my father.”

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.

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.

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

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?

Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”

He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

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!

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?

With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

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.”

Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.

Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

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?”

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.”

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.”

Judah Pleads for Benjamin

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.

My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’

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.’

You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’

When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’

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.’

Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since.

If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’(a)

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;

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.(b)

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.’

Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

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.”

Footnotes

(a)44:29 Sheol is the place of the dead.

(b)44:31 Sheol is the place of the dead.