1 A nd he commandeth him who over his house, saying, `Fill the bags of the men food, as they are able to bear, and put the money of each in the mouth of 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 a nd my cup, the silver cup, thou dost put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his corn-money;' and he doth according to the word of Joseph which he hath spoken.

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 T he morning is bright, and the men have been sent away, they and their asses --

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

4 t hey have gone out of the city -- they have not gone far off -- and Joseph hath said to him who over his house, `Rise, pursue after the men; and thou hast overtaken them, and thou hast said unto them, Why have ye recompensed evil for good?

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 not this that with which my lord drinketh? and he observeth diligently with it; ye have done evil that which ye have done.'

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 A nd he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto them these words,

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

7 a nd they say unto him, `Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word;

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 l o, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back unto thee from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of thy lord silver or gold?

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 w ith whomsoever of thy servants it is found, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.'

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

10 A nd he saith, `Now, also, according to your words, so it; he with whom it is found becometh my servant, and ye are acquitted;'

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 a nd they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag;

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

12 a nd he searcheth -- at the eldest he hath begun, and at the youngest he hath completed -- and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

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

13 a nd they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn back to the city.

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

14 A nd Judah -- his brethren also -- cometh in unto the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall before him to the earth;

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

15 a nd Joseph saith to them, `What this deed that ye have done? have ye not known that a man like me doth diligently observe?'

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 A nd Judah saith, `What do we say to my lord? what do we speak? and what -- do we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; lo, we servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found;'

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 a nd he saith, `Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he becometh my servant; and ye, go ye up in peace unto 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 A nd Judah cometh nigh unto him, and saith, `O, my lord, let thy servant speak, I pray thee, a word in the ears of my lord, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant -- for thou art as Pharaoh.

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 hath asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father or brother?

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

20 a nd we say unto my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one; and his brother died, and he is left alone of his mother, and his father hath loved 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 ` And thou sayest unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, and I set mine eye upon him;

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

22 a nd we say unto my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he hath left his father, then he hath died;

And 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 thou sayest unto thy servants, If your young brother come not down with you, ye add not to see my face.

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

24 ` And it cometh to pass, that we have come up unto thy servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

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

25 a nd our father saith, Turn back, buy for us a little food,

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

26 a nd we say, We are not able to go down; if our young brother is with us, then we have gone down; for we are not able to see the man's face, and our young brother not 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 ` And thy servant my father saith unto us, Ye -- ye have known that two did my wife bare to me,

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

28 a nd the one goeth out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn -- torn! 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 not seen him since.

29 w hen ye have taken also this from my presence, and mischief hath met him, then ye have brought down my grey hairs with evil to sheol.

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 ` And now, at my coming in unto thy servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his 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 t hen it hath come to pass when he seeth that the youth is not, that he hath died, and thy servants have brought down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to sheol;

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 thy servant obtained the youth by surety from my father, saying, If I bring him not in unto thee -- then I have sinned against my father all the days.

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 ` And now, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the youth a servant to my lord, and the youth goeth up with his brethren,

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 do I go up unto my father, and the youth not with me? lest I look on the evil which doth find my father.'

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?”