^{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?

^{1 Ref} And he commandeth him who `is' over his house, saying, `Fill the bags of the men `with' food, as they are able to bear, and put the money of each in the mouth of his bag;

^{2 Ref} and my cup, the silver cup, thou dost put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his corn-money;' and he doth according to the word of Joseph which he hath spoken.

³ The morning is bright, and the men have been sent away, they and their asses --

^{4 Ref} they have gone out of the city -- they have not gone far off -- and Joseph hath said to him who `is' over his house, `Rise, pursue after the men; and thou hast overtaken them, and thou hast said unto them, Why have ye recompensed evil for good?

^{5 Ref} Is not this that with which my lord drinketh? and he observeth diligently with it; ye have done evil `in' that which ye have done.'

⁶ And he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto them these words,

^{7 Ref} and they say unto him, `Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word;

^{8 Ref} lo, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back unto thee from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of thy lord silver or gold?

^{9 Ref} with whomsoever of thy servants it is found, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.'

^{10 Ref} And he saith, `Now, also, according to your words, so it `is'; he with whom it is found becometh my servant, and ye are acquitted;'

¹¹ and they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag;

^{12 Ref} and he searcheth -- at the eldest he hath begun, and at the youngest he hath completed -- and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

^{13 Ref} and they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn back to the city.

^{14 Ref} And Judah -- his brethren also -- cometh in unto the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall before him to the earth;

^{15 Ref} and Joseph saith to them, `What `is' this deed that ye have done? have ye not known that a man like me doth diligently observe?'

^{16 Ref} And Judah saith, `What do we say to my lord? what do we speak? and what -- do we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; lo, we `are' servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found;'

^{17 Ref} and he saith, `Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he becometh my servant; and ye, go ye up in peace unto your father.'

^{18 Ref} And Judah cometh nigh unto him, and saith, `O, my lord, let thy servant speak, I pray thee, a word in the ears of my lord, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant -- for thou art as Pharaoh.

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

^{20 Ref} and we say unto my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one; and his brother died, and he is left alone of his mother, and his father hath loved him.

^{21 Ref} `And thou sayest unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, and I set mine eye upon him;

^{22 Ref} and we say unto my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he hath left his father, then he hath died;

^{23 Ref} and thou sayest unto thy servants, If your young brother come not down with you, ye add not to see my face.

^{24 Ref} `And it cometh to pass, that we have come up unto thy servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

^{25 Ref} and our father saith, Turn back, buy for us a little food,

^{26 Ref} and we say, We are not able to go down; if our young brother is with us, then we have gone down; for we are not able to see the man's face, and our young brother not with us.

^{27 Ref} `And thy servant my father saith unto us, Ye -- ye have known that two did my wife bare to me,

^{28 Ref} and the one goeth out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn -- torn! and I have not seen him since;

^{29 Ref} when ye have taken also this from my presence, and mischief hath met him, then ye have brought down my grey hairs with evil to sheol.

^{30 Ref} `And now, at my coming in unto thy servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),

^{31 Ref} then it hath come to pass when he seeth that the youth is not, that he hath died, and thy servants have brought down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to sheol;

^{32 Ref} for thy servant obtained the youth by surety from my father, saying, If I bring him not in unto thee -- then I have sinned against my father all the days.

^{33 Ref} `And now, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the youth a servant to my lord, and the youth goeth up with his brethren,

^{34 Ref} for how do I go up unto my father, and the youth not with me? lest I look on the evil which doth find my father.'

^{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."