1 A nd he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

Then he commanded his house steward, saying, “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.

2 A nd put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money. And did according to what Joseph had said.

Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph had told him.

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

As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys.

4 W hen they had left the city and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you rewarded evil for good?

They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

5 I s it not my master’s drinking cup with which he divines ? You have done wrong in doing this.

Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.’”

6 A nd the steward overtook them, and he said to them these same words.

So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.

7 T hey said to him, Why does my lord say these things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.

8 N ote that the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Is it likely then that we would steal from your master’s house silver or gold?

Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?

9 W ith whomever of your servants is found, not only let that one die, but the rest of us will be my lord’s slaves.

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

10 A nd the steward said, Now let it be as you say: he with whom is found shall be my slave, but you shall be blameless.

So he said, “Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent.”

11 T hen quickly every man lowered his sack to the ground and every man opened his sack.

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

12 A nd searched, beginning with the eldest and stopping with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

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

13 T hen they rent their clothes; and after each man had loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city.

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

14 J udah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house, for he was still there; and they fell prostrate before him.

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

15 J oseph said to them, What is this thing that you have done? Do you not realize that such a man as I can certainly detect and know by divination ?

Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?”

16 A nd Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we reply? Or how shall we clear ourselves, since God has found out and exposed the iniquity of your servants? Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, the rest of us as well as he with whom the cup is found.

So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found.”

17 B ut said, God forbid that I should do that; but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, arise and go in peace to your father.

But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

18 T hen Judah came close to and said, O my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word to you in private, and let not your anger blaze against your servant, for you are as Pharaoh.

Then Judah approached him, and said, “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh.

19 M y lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother?

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

20 A nd we said to my lord, We have a father—an old man—and a young child of his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s, and his father loves him.

We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’

21 A nd you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.

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

22 A nd we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should do so, his father would die.

But we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

23 A nd you told your servants, Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you shall not see my face again.

You said to your servants, however, ‘ Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

24 A nd when we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25 A nd our father said, Go again and buy us a little food.

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

26 B ut we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face except our youngest brother is with us.

But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27 A nd your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons:

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

28 A nd the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since.

and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces,” and I have not seen him since.

29 A nd if you take this son also from me, and harm or accident should befall him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow and evil to Sheol (the place of the dead).

If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’

30 N ow therefore, when I come to your servant my father and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life and his soul knit with the lad’s soul,

Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life,

31 W hen he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die; and your servants will be responsible for his death and will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.

when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.

32 F or your servant became security for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.

For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’

33 N ow therefore, I pray you, let your servant remain instead of the youth a slave to my lord, and let the young man go home with his brothers.

Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.

34 F or how can I go up to my father if the lad is not with me?—lest I witness the woe and the evil that will come upon my father.

For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?”