Chapter 44

  And he commanded him who was over his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry; and put every man's money in the mouth of his sack.  

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  And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain-money. And he did according to the word of Joseph which he had spoken.  

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  In the morning, when it was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.  

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  They were gone out of the city, [and] not [yet] far off, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Up! follow after the men; and when thou overtakest them, thou shalt say to them, Why have ye rewarded evil for good?  

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  Is not this [it] in which my lord drinks, and in which indeed he divines? Ye have done evil [in] what ye have done.  

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  And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.  

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  And they said to him, Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from thy servants to do such a thing!  

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  Behold, the money that we found in our sacks' mouths we have brought again to thee from the land of Canaan; and how should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?  

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  With whomsoever of thy servants it is found, let him die; and we also will be my lord's bondmen.  

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  And he said, Now also [let] it [be] according to your words: let him with whom it is found be my bondman, but ye shall be blameless.  

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  And they hasted and laid down every man his sack on the ground, and opened every man his sack.  

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  And he searched carefully: he began at the eldest, and ended at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.  

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  Then they rent their clothes, and loaded every man his ass, and they returned to the city.  

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  And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; and he was still there; and they fell down before him to the ground.  

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  And Joseph said to them, What deed is this which ye have done? Did ye not know that such a man as I can certainly divine?  

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  And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak, and how justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he in whose hand the cup has been found.  

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  And he said, Far be it from me to do so! The man in whose hand the cup has been found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.  

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  Then Judah came near to him, and said, Ah! my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.  

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  My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?  

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  And we said to my lord, We have an aged father, and a child born to him in his old age, [yet] young; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.  

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  And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set mine eye on him.  

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  And we said to my lord, The youth cannot leave his father: if he should leave his father, [his father] would die.  

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  And thou saidst to thy servants, Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.  

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  And it came to pass when we came up to thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.  

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  And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.  

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  But we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.  

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  And thy servant my father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore me two [sons];  

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  and the one went out from me, and I said, He must certainly have been torn in pieces; and I have not seen him [again] hitherto.  

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  And if ye take this one also from me, and mischief should befall him, ye will bring down my grey hairs with misery to Sheol.  

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  And now, when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us, -- seeing that his life is bound up with his life,  

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  it will come to pass when he sees that the lad is not [there], that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.  

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  For thy servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, then I shall be guilty toward my father all my days.  

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  And now, let thy servant stay, I pray thee, instead of the lad a bondman to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren;  

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  for how should I go up to my father if the lad were not with me? -- lest I see the evil that would come on my father.  

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