| 44:1 |
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. |
| 44:2 |
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. |
| 44:3 |
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent
away, they and their asses. |
| 44:4 |
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? |
| 44:5 |
Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby
indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. |
| 44:6 |
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these
same words. |
| 44:7 |
And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these
words? God forbid that thy servants should do according
to this thing: |
| 44:8 |
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? |
| 44:9 |
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let
him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. |
| 44:10 |
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. |
| 44:11 |
Then they speedily took down every man his sack to
the ground, and opened every man his sack. |
| 44:12 |
And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at
the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. |
| 44:13 |
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his
ass, and returned to the city. |
| 44:14 |
And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house;
for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the
ground. |
| 44:15 |
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? |
| 44:16 |
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. |
| 44:17 |
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. |
| 44:18 |
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. |
| 44:19 |
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father,
or a brother? |
| 44:20 |
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. |
| 44:21 |
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down
unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. |
| 44:22 |
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his
father: for if he should leave his father, his father
would die. |
| 44:23 |
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your
youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face
no more. |
| 44:24 |
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant
my father, we told him the words of my lord. |
| 44:25 |
And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little
food. |
| 44:26 |
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. |
| 44:27 |
And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that
my wife bare me two sons: |
| 44:28 |
And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he
is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: |
| 44:29 |
And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall
him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the
grave. |
| 44:30 |
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; |
| 44:31 |
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. |
| 44:32 |
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. |
| 44:33 |
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. |
| 44:34 |
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. |