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.

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 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 sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

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

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and 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?

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

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

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

He overtook them, and he 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 that they should 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 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 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.

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

Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down 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 at the youngest. 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 each man loaded his donkey, and 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.

Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on 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 deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?”

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.

Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or 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 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.

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

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.

We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t 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, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’

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

When we came 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 again, 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.

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 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 haven’t 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 happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’

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 boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’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.

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 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 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 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 stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy 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 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.”