Genesis 44

1. And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in his sack’s mouth.

2. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his silver for the grain.” And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

3. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

4. They had gone out of the city, not having gone far. And Joseph said to his steward, “Rise up, follow after the men and overtake them, and say to them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good?

5. Is this not that from which my lord drinks, and by which indeed he divines? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”

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

7. And they said to him, “Why does your lord say these words? Far be it that your servants should do according to this thing.

8. Behold, the silver which we found in our sack’s mouth, we brought it in to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal out of your lord’s house silver or gold?

9. With whomever of your servants it may be found, both let him die, and we all will be my lord’s slaves.”

10. And he said, “Now also let it be according to your word. He with whom it is found shall be my servant, and you shall be blameless.”

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

12. And he searched first at the oldest and with the youngest last. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13. Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14. And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, for he was still there. And they fell before him to the earth.

15. And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that one like me can certainly divine?”

16. And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your slaves. Behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also with whom the cup is found.”

17. And he said, “Be it far from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, you go in peace to your father.”

18. And Judah came near him and said, “O my lord, pray let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, for you are even as Pharaoh.

19. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20. And we said to 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.’

21. And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, and let me see him.’

22. And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, he would die.’

23. And you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

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

25. And our father said, ‘Go again. Buy us a little food.’

26. And we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, we will go down, for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27. And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

28. And the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces.” And I have never seen him since.

29. And if you take this one also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’

30. And now when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life,

31. It shall be, when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. And your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave,

32. For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him to you, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever.’

33. And now, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a slave to my lord. And let the boy go up with his brothers,

34. For how shall I go up to my father, and the boy is not with me lest perhaps I see the evil that will befall my father?”