Genesis 44

Joseph’s Final Test

1Joseph commanded his steward, “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver at the top of his bag.#Gn 42:25 2Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one’s bag, along with the silver for his grain.” So he did as Joseph told him.

3At morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys. 4They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination?#Gn 30:27; 44:15; Lv 19:26; Dt 18:10–14 What you have done is wrong! ’”

6When he overtook them, he said these words to them. 7They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9If it is found with one of us, your servants, he must die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”#Gn 31:32

10The steward replied, “What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.”

11So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13Then they tore their clothes,#Gn 37:29 and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him.#Gn 37:7–10; 42:6; 43:26–28 15“What have you done?” Joseph said to them. “Didn’t you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?”

16“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ iniquity. We are now my lord’s slaves — both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

17Then Joseph said, “I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father.”

Judah’s Plea for Benjamin

18But Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.#Gn 37:7–8; 41:40–44 19My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20and we answered my lord, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age.#Gn 37:3; 43:8; 44:30 The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’ 21Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me so that I can see him.’#Gn 42:15,20 22But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’ 23Then you said to your servants, ‘If your younger brother does not come down with you, you will not see me again.’#Gn 43:3,5

24“This is what happened when we went back to your servant my father: We reported to him the words of my lord. 25But our father said, ‘Go again, and buy us a little food.’#Gn 43:2 26We told him, ‘We cannot go down unless our younger brother goes with us. If our younger brother isn’t with us, we cannot see the man.’ 27Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28One is gone from me — I said he must have been torn to pieces — and I have never seen him again.#Gn 37:31–35 29If you also take this one from me and anything happens to him, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.’#Gn 42:38

30“So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us — his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life — 31when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’#Gn 43:9 33Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers. 34For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father.”

Genesis 44

1And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold; and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.

2And in the mouth of the younger's sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.

3And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses.

4And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way, Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men. And when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?

5The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.

6He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.

7And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

8The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: How then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord's house, gold or silver?

9With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.

10And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence. With whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.

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

12Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest, and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

13Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.

14And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph (for he was not yet gone out of the place): and they altogether fell down before him on the ground.

15And he said to them: Why would you do so? Know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.

16And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? Or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: Behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.

17Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so. He that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman. And go you away free to your father.

18Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant; for after Pharao thou art

19My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?

20And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.

21And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.

22We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father; for if he leave him, he will die.

23And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.

24Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

25And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat.

26And we said to him: We cannot go. If our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together; otherwise, without him we dare not see the man's face.

27Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.

28One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him. And hitherto he appeareth not.

29If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell.

30Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him):

31And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell.

32Let me be that proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.

33Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.

34For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.

Choose your language

CSB

Genesis 44

Genesis 44