Chapter 44

  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.  

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  And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.  

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

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  [And] when they were gone out of the city, [and] 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?  

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  [Is] not this [it] in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.  

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

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  And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:  

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  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?  

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

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

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

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  And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.  

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

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

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  And Joseph said unto them, What deed [is] this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?  

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  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 servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found.  

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  And he said, God forbid that I should do so: [but] the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.  

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  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.  

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

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  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.  

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

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

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

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

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

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  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, except our youngest brother [be] with us.  

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

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  And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:  

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

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

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

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

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

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  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.  

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