The Beginning (Genesis) 44

1 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.

2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.” He did what Yehovah Will Add (Joseph) had directed.

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

4 When they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Yehovah Will Add (Joseph) said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you rewarded my lord with evil for good?”

5 Why have you taken his cup with which he divines. You have done evil in so doing.”

  6And he overtook them, and he spoke to them the same words.
  7They protested, “Why would my lord say these words? God forbid that you servants would do this thing!

8 Look! We brought back the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, from of the land of Humbled One (Canaan). Why would we steal out of your lord's house silver or gold?

9 With whomsoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.”

10 And he said, “I hear your words, but 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 man opened his sack.

12 He searched, beginning with the eldest, down to the youngest: and the cup was found in Son of the Right Hand's (Benjamin) sack.

13 Then they tore their clothes, and reloaded every man's ass, and returned to the city.

14 Praised (Judah) and his brothers came to Yehovah Will Add's (Joseph) house; for he was still there: and they fell before him on the ground.

15 Yehovah Will Add (Joseph) said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly divine?”

16 Praised (Judah) pleaded, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? or How shall we clear ourselves? God ('Elohiym) has found out the iniquity of your servants. We are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.”

17 And he said, “God forbid should I do so! The man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, go in peace to your father.”

18 Then Praised (Judah) came near him, and said, “Oh my lord, please let your servant,, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant. For you are even as the Great House (Pharaoh).

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, “Have you 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. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.

21 You said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.

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

23 You said to your servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more.

24 When we got to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

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

26 We said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

27 Your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons:

28 The one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces. I haven't seen him since.

29 If you take him also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

30 Now therefore if I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life.

31 It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I don't bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

33 Now therefore, please, let your servant be a bondman to my lord instead of the lad; and let the lad go up with his brothers.

34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? Lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.”