1And he commanded the ish over Bais Yosef, saying, Fill the sacks of the anashim with ochel, as much as they can carry, and put kesef ish in the mouth of his sack.

2And put my cup, gevi'a hakesef (cup of silver), in the mouth of the sack of the katon, and his kesef for shever (grain). And he did according to the davar Yosef had spoken.

3As soon as the boker ohr, the anashim were sent away, they and their chamorim.

4And when they were gone out of the ir, and not yet far off, Yosef said unto the ish over Bais Yosef, Up, follow after the anashim; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded ra'ah for tovah?

5Is not this it in which adoni drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? Ye have done ra'ah in so doing.

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

7And they said unto him, Wherefore saith adoni these words? Chalilah (far be it) that thy avadim should do according to this thing;

8Hinei, the kesef, which we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of Eretz Kena'an; how then should we be ganavim stealing kesef or zahav out of the bais adoneicha?

9With whomsoever of thy avadim it be found, both let him die, and we also will be avadim of adoni.

10And he said, Now also let it be according unto your devarim; he with whom it is found shall be to me eved; and ye shall be nekiyim (blameless).

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

12And he searched, and began at the gadol (eldest), and ended at the katon (youngest); and the gevi'a (cup, goblet) was found in the sack of Binyamin.

13Then they tore their garments, and loaded every ish his chamor, and returned to the ir.

14And Yehudah and his achim came to Bais Yosef; for he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground.

15And Yosef said unto them, What ma'aseh (deed) is this that ye have done? Know ye not that an ish like me can find things out as a menachesh (diviner)?

16And Yehudah said, What shall we say unto adoni? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? HaElohim hath found out the avon (iniquity) of thy avadim; look at us, we are now avadim la'adoni, both we, and he also with whom the gevi'a (cup) is found.

17And he [Yosef] said, Chalilah that I should do so; but the ish in whose yad the gevi'a is found, he shall be to me eved; and as for you, go back in shalom unto avichem.

[VAYIGGASH]

18Then Yehudah came near unto him, and said, Oh, adoni, let thy eved speak now a davar in oznei adoni, and let not thine anger burn against thy eved; for thou art even like Pharaoh.

19Adoni asked his avadim, saying, Have ye an av, or an ach?

20And we said unto adoni, We have an av, a zaken, and a yeled zekunim katan (child of his old age, a little one); and achiv is dead, and he alone is left of immo, and aviv loveth him.

21And thou saidst unto thy avadim, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

22And we said unto adoni, The na'ar cannot leave aviv; for if he should leave aviv, aviv would die.

23And thou saidst unto thy avadim, Except achichem hakaton (your youngest brother) come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy eved Avi we told him the divrei adoni.

25And avinu said, Shuvu, (go back, return) and buy us a little ochel.

26And we said, We cannot go down; if achinu hakaton (our youngest brother) be with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the face of HaIsh, except achinu hakaton be with us.

27And thy eved Avi said unto us, Ye know that my wife bore me two banim;

28And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn to pieces; and I saw him not ad-hennah (until now);

29And if ye take this also from me, and ason (evil, harm) befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hair in ra'ah (misery) to Sheol.

30Now therefore when I come to thy eved Avi, and the na'ar be not with us; seeing that his nefesh is bound up in the nefesh of the na'ar;

31It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the na'ar is not with us, that he will die; and thy avadim shall bring down the gray hair of thy eved avinu with yagon (sorrow) to Sheol,

32For thy eved became surety for the na'ar unto Avi, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame before Avi kol hayamim.

33Therefore, let thy eved, now, abide instead of the na'ar, an eved to adoni; and let the na'ar go up with his achim.

34For how shall I go up to Avi, and the na'ar be not with me? Lest I see the rah that would overtake Avi.

THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE

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Genesis 44

1 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 his sack’s mouth. 2Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? 5Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’” 6He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! 8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house? 9With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

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

11 Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him. 15Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”

16 Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”

17 He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh. 19My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20We said to 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.’ 21You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’ 24When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’ 26We said, ‘We can’t 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.’ 27Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since. 29If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’#44:29 Sheol is the place of the dead. 30Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life; 31it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.#44:31 Sheol is the place of the dead. 32For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’ 33Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”

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Bereshis 44

Genesis 44