Genesis 44

Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Ref Then he gave orders to the servant who was over his house, saying, Put as much food into the men's bags as will go into them, and put every man's money in the mouth of his bag;

2 Ref And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said.

3 And at dawn the men, with their asses, were sent away.

4 Ref And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?

5 Ref Is not this the cup from which my lord takes wine and by which he gets knowledge of the future? Truly, you have done evil.

6 So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 Ref And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:

8 Ref See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 Ref If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.

10 Ref And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible.

11 Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

12 Ref And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.

13 Ref Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.

14 Ref So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was still there: and they went down on their faces before him.

15 Ref And Joseph said, What is this thing which you have done? had you no thought that such a man as I would have power to see what is secret?

16 Ref And Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.

17 Ref Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace.

18 Ref Then Judah came near him, and said, Let your servant say a word in my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be burning against your servant: for you are in the place of Pharaoh to us.

19 Ref My lord said to his servants, Have you a father or a brother?

20 Ref And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.

21 Ref And you said to your servants, Let him come down to me with you, so that I may see him.

22 Ref And we said to my lord, His father will not let him go; for if he went away his father would come to his death.

23 Ref But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come with you, you will not see my face again.

24 Ref And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.

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

26 Ref And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.

27 Ref And our father said to us, You have knowledge that my wife gave me two sons;

28 Ref The one went away from me, and I said, Truly he has come to a violent death; and from that time I have not seen him,

29 Ref If now you take this one from me, and some evil comes to him, you will make my grey head go down in sorrow to the underworld.

30 Ref If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,

31 Ref When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld.

32 Ref For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

33 Ref So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.

34 Ref For how may I go back to my father without the boy, and see the evil which will come on my father?

World English Bible (WEB)

1 Ref 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 Ref Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, with his grain money." 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 Ref When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you rewarded evil for good?

5 Ref Isn't this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.'"

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

7 Ref They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

8 Ref Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?

9 Ref With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondservants."

10 Ref He said, "Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found will be my bondservant; and you will be blameless."

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

12 Ref He searched, beginning with the eldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 Ref Then they tore their clothes, and loaded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.

14 Ref Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

15 Ref Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Don't you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?"

16 Ref Judah said, "What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's bondservants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found."

17 Ref He said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my bondservant; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

18 Ref Then Judah came near to him, and said, "Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and don't let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.

19 Ref My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father, or a brother?'

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

22 Ref We said to my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

23 Ref You said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.'

24 Ref It happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25 Ref Our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

26 Ref We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, unless our youngest brother is with us.'

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

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

29 Ref If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.'

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

31 Ref it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.

32 Ref For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I don't bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

33 Ref Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, a bondservant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

34 Ref For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn't with me? Lest I see the evil that will come on my father."

American Standard-ASV1901 (ASV)

1 Ref And 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 Ref And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his grain money. 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 asses.

4 Ref `And' when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

5 Ref Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words.

7 Ref And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

8 Ref Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

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

10 Ref And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.

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

12 Ref And he searched, `and' began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

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

14 Ref And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

15 Ref And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I can indeed divine?

16 Ref And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.

17 Ref And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

18 Ref Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh, 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.

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

20 Ref And we said unto 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 loveth him.

21 Ref And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

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

23 Ref And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

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

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

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

27 Ref And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

28 Ref and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since:

29 Ref and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.

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

31 Ref it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not `with us', that he will die: and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.

32 Ref For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

33 Ref Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

34 Ref For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Chapter 44 of 50

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