Genesis 44
44
Joseph Tests His Brothers
1Then he commanded #ver. 4; See ch. 43:16 the steward of his house, #ch. 42:25“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, 2and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him.
3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his #ver. 1steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?#44:4 Septuagint (compare Vulgate) adds Why have you stolen my silver cup? 5Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and #ver. 15; ch. 30:27; [2 Kgs. 21:6; 2 Chr. 33:6]by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’”
6When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. 7They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8Behold, #ch. 43:21the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9#[ch. 31:32] Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be #ver. 16my lord’s servants.” 10He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” 11Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13Then they #ch. 37:29tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
14When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They #ch. 37:7, 9, 10; 42:6; 43:26, 28fell before him to the ground. 15Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me #ver. 5can indeed practice divination?” 16And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out #ch. 37:18; [Num. 32:23] the guilt of your servants; behold, we are #ver. 9my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” 17But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
18Then Judah went up to him and said, #ch. 43:20 “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and #Ex. 32:22 let not your anger burn against your servant, for #ch. 41:40you are like Pharaoh himself. 19My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, #ver. 30; [ch. 43:8] and a young brother, #[ch. 37:3]the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ 21Then you said to your servants, #ch. 42:15, 20; 43:3, 5‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, #[ver. 31]his father would die.’ 23Then you said to your servants, #ch. 43:3‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’
24“When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25And when #ch. 43:2our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ 26we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot 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 #ch. 46:19two sons. 28One left me, and I said, #ch. 37:33“Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. 29If you #ch. 42:36, 38 take this one also from me, #ch. 42:4, 38and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’
30“Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, 31as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, #ch. 43:9‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ 33Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”
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Genesis 44: ESV
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Bereshis 44
44
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.
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