Chapter 44

Chapter 44

1 Joseph gave strict orders to the supervisor of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s money right at the mouth of his sack.

2 Then put my cup—the silver cup—right at the mouth of the sack of the youngest, along with the money for his food.” And the supervisor did exactly as Joseph told him.

3 As soon as the morning light appeared, the men were sent on their way along with their donkeys.

4 They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to the supervisor of his house, “Get up, pursue the men! When you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with wrong?

5 Is this not the very cup my master drinks from, and the one he uses for divination? You have acted wrongfully!’”

6 When the supervisor overtook them, he spoke these exact words to them.

7 But they said to him, “Why does my master say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!

8 Look! We brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found at the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he shall die, and the rest of us will become my master’s slaves.”

10 He replied, “Let it be exactly as you say: the one found with it shall become my slave, but the rest of you shall go free.”

11 Each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

12 He searched, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found right inside Benjamin’s sack.

13 At this, they tore their clothes. Each man loaded his donkey again, and they returned to the city.

14 When Judah and his brothers entered Joseph’s house, he was still there; and they threw themselves to the ground in his presence.

15 Joseph said to them, “What is this deed you have done? Did you not know that a man like me can discover things by divination?”

16 Judah replied, “What can we say to my master? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? The All-Powerful One has uncovered the guilt of your servants. Look! We are now my master’s slaves—both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man in whose possession the cup was found shall become my slave. As for the rest of you, go up in peace to your father.”

18 Then Judah drew near to him and said, “Please, my master, let your servant speak a word directly to my master, and do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself.

19 My master questioned his servants, asking, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20 And we answered my master, ‘We have an old father, and a young brother born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him deeply.’

21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I may set my eyes upon him.’

22 But we said to my master, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves his father, his father will die.’

23 Yet you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

24 When we went back up to your servant my father, we repeated to him the exact words of my master.

25 Later, our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little more food supplies.’

26 But we answered, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

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

28 One went away from me, and I said, “He must surely have been torn to pieces!” and I have not seen him since.

29 If you take this one from me too, and a tragedy happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in misery.’

30 So now, if I return to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—since his own active life-soul is bound up in the boy’s active life-soul—

31 when he sees that the boy is not there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in grief.’

32 For your servant stood as a guarantee for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father for all time.’

33 Now, therefore, please let your servant stay here as a slave to my master instead of the boy, and let the boy go back up with his brothers.

34 For how can I go back up to my father if the boy is not with me? I cannot bear to look upon the misery that would overwhelm my father.”