Genesis 44

The Brothers Are Brought Back

11Then he commanded his house steward, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the opening of his sack. 2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the opening of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.” And he did 2as Joseph had told him. 33As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. 4They had just left 4the city, and were not far away, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5Is this not that from which my lord drinks, and which he indeed uses for 5divination? You have done wrong in doing this!’”

6So 6he overtook them and spoke these words to them. 7And they said to him, “Why does my lord say such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8Behold, 7the money which we found in the opening of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 98With whomever of your servants it is found, he shall die, and we also shall be my lord’s 9slaves.” 10So he said, “Now let it indeed be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall be considered innocent.” 11Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12And he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and 10the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13Then they 11tore their clothes in grief, and when each man had loaded his donkey, they returned to 12the city.

14When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and 13they fell down to the ground before him. 15Joseph said to them, “What is this thing that you have done? Do you not know that a man who is like me can indeed practice 14divination?” 16So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What words can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s 15slaves, both we and the one in whose 16possession the cup has been found.” 17But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose 17possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

18Then Judah approached him and said, “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and 1819do not be angry with your servant; for 20you are equal to Pharaoh. 1921My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20And we said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and 22a little boy born in our father’s old age. Now 23his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ 21Then you said to your servants, ‘24Bring him down to me so that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, 25his father would die.’ 23You said to your servants, however, ‘26Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24So it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25And 27our father said, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’ 26But we said, ‘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.’ 27Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that 28my wife bore me two sons; 28and the one left me, and 29I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him since. 29If you also take this one from 30me, and harm happens to him, you will 31bring my gray hair down to Sheol in 32sorrow.’ 30So now, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us--since 3334our father’s life is so attached to the boy’s life-- 31when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. So your servants will 35bring the gray hair of your servant, our father, down to Sheol in sorrow. 32For your servant 36accepted responsibility for the boy from my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then 37my father can let me take the blame forever.’ 33So now, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the boy, and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34For how shall I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear that I may see the evil that would 38overtake my father.”