1 T hen Joseph told the man who took care of his house, “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry. And put each man’s money in his bag.

And 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.

2 P ut my silver cup in the bag of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did what Joseph had told him to do.

Also 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.

3 E arly in the morning the men were sent away with their donkeys.

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

4 W hen they had left the city and were not far away, Joseph said to the man who took care of his house, “Get up and follow the men. When you come to them, say to them, ‘Why have you returned bad for good? Why have you stolen the silver cup?

When 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?

5 I s this not my lord’s drinking cup that he uses for telling about the future? You have done wrong.’”

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

6 S o he came to them and spoke these words to them.

So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

7 A nd they said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants would never do such a thing.

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

8 R emember how we returned to you from the land of Canaan with the money we found in the top of our bags. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your owner’s house?

Look, 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?

9 I f the cup is found with any of your servants, let him be put to death. And the others of us will be your servants.”

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

10 H e answered, “Let it be as you say. He who is found to have the cup will be my servant. But you others will be without blame.”

And 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.”

11 T hen each man put his bag down on the ground in a hurry and opened it.

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

12 T he man looked for it, beginning with the oldest and stopping with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag.

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

13 T hen they tore their clothes. After each man 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 W hen Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground in front of him.

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

15 J oseph said to them, “What is this that you have done? Did you not know that a man like me has power to know what is not known by others?”

And 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?”

16 J udah said, “We do not know what to say to my lord. How can we make ourselves right in your eyes? God has shown the guilt of your servants. See, we are your servants, both we and the one who was found with the cup.”

Then 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.”

17 B ut Joseph said, “No. I will do no such thing. The person who was found with the cup will be my servant. But you others may go in peace to your father.”

But 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

18 T hen Judah came near to him, and said, “O my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears. Do not be angry with your servant. For you are like Pharaoh himself.

Then 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.

19 M y lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

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

20 W e said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a young brother who was born to him when he was old. Now his brother is dead. So he is all that is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’

And 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.’

21 T hen you said to your servants, ‘Bring him here to me, so I may see him.’

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

22 B ut we said to my lord, ‘The boy 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 leave his father, his father would die.’

23 T hen you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes here with you, you will not see my face again.’

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

24 “ When we returned to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

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

25 O ur father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’

And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’

26 B ut we said, ‘We cannot go there. If our youngest brother is with us, we will go there. For we cannot 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 unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27 “ Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave birth to two of my sons.

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

28 O ne left me, and I said, “For sure he is torn to pieces.” 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 not seen him since.

29 I f you take this one also from me, and something happens to him, you will bring my white hair down to the grave in sorrow.’

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

30 M y father’s life and the boy’s life are one. If I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us,

“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 boy is not with us, he will die. So your servants will bring the white hair of your servant our father down to the grave in sorrow.

it 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.

32 F or I put myself as trust for the boy to my father. I said, ‘If I do not return him to you, then let the blame be on me forever.’

For 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.’

33 S o let your servant stay and work for my lord, instead of the boy. Let the boy go home with his brothers.

Now 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.

34 F or how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I am afraid to see the sorrow that my father would suffer.”

For 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?”