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.

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 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.

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 dawned, 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 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?

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

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

So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.

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 speak such words as these? 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?

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 it is found, let him die, and we also 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 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.”

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

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

He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending 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 tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, 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.

When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground 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 deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice 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.”

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 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 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 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 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 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.’

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 T hen 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 leave his father, 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 B ut you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

You said to your servants, however, ‘ Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will 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.

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 back 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 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 cannot see the man’s face unless 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;

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 in pieces,” and I have not 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.’

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

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,

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. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.

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 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, 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, 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 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 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?”