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 each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.

And 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.

2 A lso put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

And 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.

3 A s soon as the morning dawned, 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 gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

When 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?

5 I s not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’”

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

6 S o he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

And the steward overtook them, and he said to them these same words.

7 A nd they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing.

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

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

Note 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?

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

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

10 A nd he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.”

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

11 T hen each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.

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

12 S o he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

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

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

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

14 S o Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground.

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

15 A nd Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”

Joseph 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 ?

16 T hen Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”

And 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.

17 B ut he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.” Judah Intercedes for Benjamin

But 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.

18 T hen Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh.

Then 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.

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 child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’

And 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.

21 T hen you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

And 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 leave his father, his father would die.’

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

23 B ut you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

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

24 “ So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.

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

25 A nd our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’

And our father said, Go again and 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 unless 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 may not see the man’s face except our youngest brother is with us.

27 T hen your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons;

And 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 not seen him since.

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

29 B ut if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

And 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).

30 “ 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,

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 and his soul knit with the lad’s soul,

31 i t will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

When 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.

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

For 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.

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

Now 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.

34 F or how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”

For 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.