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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Genesis 44

Benjamin and the Silver Cup

1Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack. 2Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.”

So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

3At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?#44:4 LXX includes Why have you stolen my silver cup? 5Is this not the cup #44:5 Hebrew Is it not this which my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”

6When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.

7“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”

10“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”

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 all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

14When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

15“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”

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

17But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”

Judah Pleads for Benjamin

18Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

21Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’

22So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’

23But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

24Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.

25Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’

26But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’

27And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. 29Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’

30So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life, 31sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’

33Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers. 34For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”

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Genesis 44

Genesis 44