B'resheet (Gen) 44

1Then he ordered the manager of his household, “Fill the men’s packs with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money just inside his pack. 2And put my goblet, the silver one, just inside the pack of the youngest, along with his grain money.” He did what Yosef told him to do.

3At daybreak the men were sent off with their donkeys; 4but before they were far from the city Yosef said to his manager, “Up, go after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 5Isn’t this the goblet my lord drinks from, indeed the one he uses for divination? What you have done is evil!’” 6So he caught up with them and said these words to them. 7They replied, “Why does my lord speak this way? Heaven forbid that we should do such a thing! 8Why, the money we found inside our packs we brought back to you from the land of Kena‘an! So how would we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9Whichever one of us the goblet is found with, let him be put to death — and the rest of us will be my lord’s slaves!” 10He replied, “Fine; let it be as you have said: whichever one it is found with will be my slave. But the rest of you will be blameless.” 11Then each hurried to put his pack down on the ground, and each one opened his pack. 12He searched, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the goblet was found in the pack belonging to Binyamin. 13At this, they tore their clothes from grief. Then each man loaded up his donkey and returned to the city.

(A: Maftir) 14Y’hudah and his brothers arrived at Yosef’s house. He was still there, and they fell down before him on the ground. (S: Maftir) 15Yosef said to them, “How could you do such a thing? Don’t you know that a man such as myself can learn the truth by divination?” 16Y’hudah said, “There’s nothing we can say to my lord! How can we speak? There’s no way we can clear ourselves! God has revealed your servants’ guilt; so here we are, my lord’s slaves — both we and also the one in whose possession the cup was found.” 17But he replied, “Heaven forbid that I should act in such a way. The man in whose possession the goblet was found will be my slave; but as for you, go in peace to your father.”

Haftarah Mikketz: M’lakhim Alef (1 Kings) 3:15–4:1

B’rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Mikketz: Acts 7:9–16 (specifically vv. 11–12)

Parashah 11: Vayigash (He approached) 44:18–47:27

18Then Y’hudah approached Yosef and said, “Please, my lord! Let your servant say something to you privately; and don’t be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. 19My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father? or a brother?’ 20We answered my lord, ‘We have a father who is an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one whose brother is dead; so that of his mother’s children he alone is left; and his father loves him.’ 21But you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, so that I can see him.’ 22We answered my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father; if he were to leave his father, his father would die.’ 23You said to your servants, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ 24We went up to your servant my father and told him what my lord had said; 25but when our father said, ‘Go again, and buy us some food,’ 26we answered, ‘We can’t go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go down, because we can’t see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons: 28the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I haven’t seen him since. 29Now if you take this one away from me too, and something happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sh’ol with grief.’ 30So now if I go to your servant my father, and the boy isn’t with us — seeing how his heart is bound up with the boy’s heart — (ii) 31when he sees that the boy isn’t with us, he will die; and your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sh’ol with grief. 32For your servant himself guaranteed his safety; I said, ‘If I fail to bring him to you, then I will bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33Therefore, I beg you, let your servant stay as a slave to my lord instead of the boy, and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34For how can I go up to my father if the boy isn’t with me? I couldn’t bear to see my father so overwhelmed by anguish.”

Genesis 44

1And 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.

2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Yosef had spoken.

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

4 [And] when they were gone out of the city, [and] not [yet] far off, Yosef said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when youi do overtake them, say unto them, For what reason have youf rewarded evil for good?

5 [Is] not this [it] in which my lord drinks, and whereby indeed he divines? You1sf have done evil in so doing.

6And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these same words.

7And they said unto him, For what reason says my lord these words? God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] forbid that youri servants should do according to this thing:

8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto youi out of the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues): how then should we steal out of youri lord’s house silver or gold?

9With whomsoever of youri servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.

10And he said, Now also [let] it [be] according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and youf shall be blameless.

11Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

12And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Binyamin’s (this son is strength) sack.

13Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.

14And Y’hudah (Let the Powerful One be Praised [Yah]) and his brethren came to Yosef’s (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) house; for he [was] yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

15And Yosef said unto them, What deed [is] this that you1sf have done? know you1sf not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

16And Y’hudah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] has found out the iniquity of youri servants: behold, we [are] my lord’s servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found.

17And he said, God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] forbid that I should do so: [but] the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get youi up in peace unto your father.

18Then Y’hudah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let youi servant, I pray youi, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not youri anger burn against youri servant: for youi [are] even as Pharaoh (Great House).

19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have youf a father, or a brother?

20And we said unto 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.

21And youi said unto youi servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set my eyes upon him.

22And we said unto my lord, The boy cannot leave his father: for [if] he should leave his father, [his father] would die.

23And youi said unto youi servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, youf shall see my face no more.

24And it came to pass when we came up unto youri servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25And our father said, Go again, [and] buy us a little food.

26And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother [be] with us.

27And youri servant my father said unto us, You1sf know that my wife bore me two [sons]:

28And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

29If you1sf take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you1sf shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

30Now therefore when I come to youri servant my father, and the boy [be] not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the boy’s life;

31It shall come to pass, when he sees that the boy [is] not [with us], that he will die: and youri servants shall bring down the gray hairs of youri servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

32For youri servant became surety for the boy unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto youi, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever.

33Now therefore, I pray youi, let youri servant abide instead of the boy a bondman (slave) to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brethren.

34For how shall I go up to my father, and the boy [be] not with me? lest perhaps I see the evil that shall come on my father.

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B'resheet (Gen) 44

Genesis 44