44
1 And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack. 2 And put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said. 3 The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4 And when they had gone out of the city, and were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and you shall overtake them, and say to them, Why have you⌃ returned evil for good? 5 Why have you⌃ stolen my silver cup? is it not this * out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; you⌃ have accomplished evil in that which you⌃ have done. 6 And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words. 7 And they said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from your servants to do according to this word. 8 If we brought back to you out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of your lord? 9 With whoever of your servants you shall find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord. 10 And he said, Now then it shall be as you⌃ say; with whoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and you⌃ shall be clear. 11 And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack. 13 And they tore their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city. 14 And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him. 15 And Joseph said to them, What is this thing that you⌃ have done? know you⌃ not that a man such as I can surely divine? 16 And Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? † whereas God has revealed the unrighteousness of your servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been found. 17 And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do you⌃ go up with safety to your father. 18 And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let your servant speak a word before you, and be not angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharao. 19 Sir, you asked your servants, saying, Have you⌃ a father or a brother? 20 And we said to my lord, We have a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him. 21 And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him. 22 And we said to my lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die. 23 But you said to your servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, you⌃ shall not see my face again. 24 And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord. 25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. 26 And we said, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us. 27 And your servant our father said to us, You⌃ know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 and one is departed from me; and you⌃ said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now. 29 If then you⌃ take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall you⌃ bring down my old age with sorrow to ‡ the grave. 30 Now then, if I should go in to your servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this lad's life) 31 —it shall even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, that he will die, and your servants will bring down the old age of your servant, and our father, with sorrow to the grave. § 32 For your servant has received the boy in charge from his father, saying, If I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards my father for ever. 33 Now then I will remain a servant with you instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up with his brethren. 34 For how shall I go up to my father, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall my father.
* 44:5 Gr. in which. † 44:16 Gr. but. ‡ 44:29 Gr. Hades. § 44:31 Gr. Hades.