New American Standard Bible 1995

Genesis 44:18-34

18Then Judahיְהוּדָ֗הye.hu.DahH3063approachedוַיִּגַּ֨שׁvai.yi.GashH5066him, and saidוַיֹּאמֶר֮vai.yo.MerH559, “Ohבִּ֣יbiH994my lordאֲדֹנִי֒'a.do.NiH113,may your servantעַבְדְּךָ֤'av.de.KhaH5650pleaseנָ֨אna'H4994speakיְדַבֶּר־ye.da.ber-H1696a wordדָבָר֙da.VarH1697in my lord’sאֲדֹנִ֔י'a.do.NiH113earsבְּאָזְנֵ֣יbe.'a.ze.NeiH241, anddo not be angryיִ֥חַר אַפְּךָ֖Yi.char 'a.pe.KhaH639 H2734with your servantבְּעַבְדֶּ֑ךָbe.'av.De.khaH5650; foryou are equal to Pharaohכְּפַרְעֹֽה׃ke.far.'OhH6547.

19My lordאֲדֹנִ֣י'a.do.NiH113askedשָׁאַ֔לsha.'AlH7592his servantsעֲבָדָ֖יו'a.va.DavH5650,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559, ‘Haveהֲיֵשׁ־ha.yesh-H3426you a fatherאָ֖ב'avH1orאוֹ־'ov-H176a brotherאָֽח׃'AchH251?’

20We saidוַנֹּ֙אמֶר֙va.No.merH559to my lordאֲדֹנִ֔י'a.do.NiH113, ‘We haveיֶשׁ־yesh-H3426an oldזָקֵ֔ןza.KenH2205fatherאָ֣ב'avH1anda littleקָטָ֑ןka.TanH6996childוְיֶ֥לֶדve.Ye.ledH3206of hisoldזְקֻנִ֖יםze.ku.NimH2208ageH2208. Nowhis brotherוְאָחִ֨יוve.'a.ChivH251is deadמֵ֜תmetH4191,so he aloneלְבַדּ֛וֹle.va.DoH905is leftוַיִּוָּתֵ֨רvai.yi.va.TerH3498of his motherלְאִמּ֖וֹle.'i.MoH517,and his fatherוְאָבִ֥יוve.'a.VivH1lovesאֲהֵבֽוֹ׃'a.he.VoH157him.’

21Then you saidוַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙va.To.merH559to your servantsעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ'a.va.Dei.khaH5650, ‘Bringהוֹרִדֻ֖הוּho.ri.Du.huH3381him downH3381to me that I may setוְאָשִׂ֥ימָהve.'a.Si.mahH7760my eyesעֵינִ֖י'ei.NiH5869on him.’

22But we saidוַנֹּ֙אמֶר֙va.No.merH559to my lordאֲדֹנִ֔י'a.do.NiH113, ‘The ladהַנַּ֖עַרha.Na.'arH5288cannotלֹא־ יוּכַ֥לlo'- yu.KhalH3201 H3808leaveלַעֲזֹ֣בla.'a.ZoH5800his fatherאָבִ֑יו'a.VivH1,for if he should leaveוְעָזַ֥בve.'a.ZavH5800his fatherאָבִ֖יו'a.VivH1,his father would dieוָמֵֽת׃va.MetH4191.’

23You saidוַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙va.To.merH559to your servantsעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ'a.va.Dei.khaH5650, however, ‘Unlessאִם־'im-H518 H3808your youngestהַקָּטֹ֖ןha.ka.TonH6996brotherאֲחִיכֶ֥ם'a.chi.KhemH251comesיֵרֵ֛דye.RedH3381downH3381with you, you will not seeלִרְא֥וֹתlir.'otH7200my faceפָּנָֽי׃pa.NaiH6440againתֹסִפ֖וּןto.si.FunH3254.’

24Thus it cameוַיְהִי֙vay.HiH1961about whenכִּ֣יkiH3588we wentעָלִ֔ינוּ'a.Li.nuH5927up to your servantעַבְדְּךָ֖'av.de.KhaH5650my fatherאָבִ֑י'a.ViH1,we toldוַנַּ֨גֶּד־va.Na.ged-H5046him the wordsדִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.ReiH1697of my lordאֲדֹנִֽי׃'a.do.NiH113.

25Our fatherאָבִ֑ינוּ'a.Vi.nuH1saidוַיֹּ֖אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, ‘Goשֻׁ֖בוּShu.vuH7725backH7725,buyשִׁבְרוּ־shiv.ru-H7666us a littleמְעַט־me.'at-H4592foodאֹֽכֶל׃'O.khelH400.’

26But we saidוַנֹּ֕אמֶרva.No.merH559, ‘We cannotלֹ֥א נוּכַ֖לlo' nu.KhalH3201 H3808goלָרֶ֑דֶתla.Re.detH3381downH3381.Ifאִם־'im-H518our youngestהַקָּטֹ֤ןha.ka.TonH6996brotherאָחִ֨ינוּ'a.Chi.nuH251is with us, then we will goוְיָרַ֔דְנוּve.ya.Rad.nuH3381downH3381;for we cannotלֹ֣א נוּכַ֗לlo' nu.KhalH3201 H3808seeלִרְאוֹת֙lir.'OtH7200the man’sהָאִ֔ישׁha.'IshH376faceפְּנֵ֣יpe.NeiH6440unlessאֵינֶ֥נּוּ'ei.Ne.nuH369our youngestהַקָּטֹ֖ןha.ka.TonH6996brotherוְאָחִ֥ינוּve.'a.Chi.nuH251is with us.’

27Your servantעַבְדְּךָ֥'av.de.KhaH5650my fatherאָבִ֖י'a.ViH1saidוַיֹּ֛אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559to us, ‘You knowיְדַעְתֶּ֔םye.da'.TemH3045thatmy wifeאִשְׁתִּֽי׃'ish.TiH802boreיָֽלְדָה־Yal.dah-H3205me twoשְׁנַ֖יִםshe.Na.yimH8147sons;

28and the oneהָֽאֶחָד֙ha.'e.ChadH259wentוַיֵּצֵ֤אvai.ye.Tze'H3318out from me, andI saidוָאֹמַ֕רva.'o.MarH559, “Surelyאַ֖ךְ'akhH389he is tornטָרֹ֣ףta.RofH2963in piecesטֹרָ֑ףto.RafH2963,”and I have not seenרְאִיתִ֖יוre.'i.TivH7200him sinceעַד־ הֵֽנָּה׃'ad- He.nahH5704 H2008.

29If you takeוּלְקַחְתֶּ֧םu.le.kach.TemH3947thisH2088oneזֶ֛הzehH2088alsoגַּם־gam-H1571fromme, and harmאָס֑וֹן'a.SonH611befallsוְקָרָ֣הוּve.ka.Ra.huH7136him, you willbringH3381my grayשֵׂיבָתִ֛יsei.va.TiH7872hairH7872downוְהֽוֹרַדְתֶּ֧םve.ho.rad.TemH3381to Sheolשְׁאֹֽלָה׃she.'O.lahH7585insorrowH7463.’

30Nowוְעַתָּ֗הve.'a.TahH6258,therefore, when I comeכְּבֹאִי֙ke.vo.'IH935to your servantעַבְדְּךָ֣'av.de.KhaH5650my fatherאָבִ֔י'a.ViH1,and the ladוְהַנַּ֖עַרve.ha.Na.'arH5288is not with us, sincehis lifeוְנַפְשׁ֖וֹve.naf.ShoH5315is boundקְשׁוּרָ֥הke.shu.RahH7194up in the lad’s lifeבְנַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ve.naf.ShoH5315,

31when he seesכִּרְאוֹת֛וֹkir.'o.ToH7200that the ladהַנַּ֖עַרha.Na.'arH5288is not with us,he will dieוָמֵ֑תva.MetH4191.Thus your servantsעֲבָדֶ֜יךָ'a.va.Dei.khaH5650willbringוְהוֹרִ֨ידוּve.ho.Ri.duH3381the grayשֵׂיבַ֨תsei.VatH7872hairH7872of your servantעַבְדְּךָ֥'av.de.KhaH5650our fatherאָבִ֛ינוּ'a.Vi.nuH1downH3381to Sheolשְׁאֹֽלָה׃she.'O.lahH7585in sorrowבְּיָג֖וֹןbe.ya.GonH3015.

32For your servantעַבְדְּךָ֙'av.de.KhaH5650becameH6148suretyעָרַ֣ב'a.RavH6148for the ladהַנַּ֔עַרha.Na.'arH5288to my fatherאָבִ֖י'a.ViH1,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559, ‘Ifאִם־'im-H518I do not bringאֲבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙'a.vi.'E.nuH935him back to you, thenlet me bearH2398the blameH2398before my fatherלְאָבִ֖יle.'a.ViH1foreverכָּל־ הַיָּמִֽים׃kol- hai.ya.MimH3605 H3117.’

33Nowוְעַתָּ֗הve.'a.TahH6258,therefore, pleaseנָ֤אna'H4994let your servantעַבְדְּךָ֙'av.de.KhaH5650remainיֵֽשֶׁב־ye.shev-H3427insteadתַּ֣חַתTa.chatH8478of the ladהַנַּ֔עַרha.Na.'arH5288a slaveעֶ֖בֶד'E.vedH5650to my lordלַֽאדֹנִ֑יla.do.NiH113,and let the ladוְהַנַּ֖עַרve.ha.Na.'arH5288goיַ֥עַלYa.'alH5927up with his brothersאֶחָֽיו׃'e.ChavH251.

34For howאֵיךְ֙'eiKhH349shall I goאֶֽעֱלֶ֣ה'e.'e.LehH5927up to my fatherאָבִ֔י'a.ViH1if the ladוְהַנַּ֖עַרve.ha.Na.'arH5288is not with me--for fearפֶּ֚ןpenH6435that I seeאֶרְאֶ֣ה'er.'EhH7200the evilבָרָ֔עva.Ra'H7451that wouldovertakeיִמְצָ֖אyim.Tza'H4672my fatherאָבִֽי׃'a.ViH1?”

Read all of Genesis 44

Commentaries on Genesis 44