 1 He commanded the steward of his house saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each one's silver in his sack's mouth. 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain silver. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 They had gone out of the city, not having gone far. And Joseph said to his steward, Rise up, follow after the men and overtake them, and say to them, Why have you rewarded evil for good? 5 Is this not what my lord drinks and by which indeed he divines? You have done evil in so doing. 6 He overtook them, and he spoke to them these words. 7 They said to him, Why does your lord say these words? Far be it that your servants should do according to this. 8 Behold, the silver that we found in our sack's mouth, we brought it in to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal out of your lord's house silver or gold? 9 With whomever of your servants it may be found, both let him die, and we all will be my lord's bondmen. 10 He said, Now also let it be according to your word. He with whom it is found shall be my servant, and you shall be blameless. 11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and each one opened his sack. 12 He searched first at the oldest and with the youngest last. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city. 14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, for he was still there. They fell before him to the earth. 15 Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that one like me can certainly divine? 16 Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also with whom the cup is found. 17 He said, Be it far from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant. And as for you, you go in peace to your father. 18 Judah came near him and said, O my lord, pray let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, for you are even as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants saying, Do you have a father or a brother? 20 We said to 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 loves him. 21 You said to your servants, Bring him down to me, and let me see him. 22 We said to you my lord, The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, he would die. 23 Then you said, Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will not+ see me again. 24 So we went again to my father and told him your words, my lord. 25 Then our father said, Go then and buy food for us. 26 We said, We cannot go. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we can not see the man again unless our youngest brother is with us. 27 Then my father said to us, You know that my wife bore two sons to me. 28 The one went away from me and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces and I never saw him again. 29 If you take this one also from me and mischief befall him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 30 Now when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in his life, 31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For your servant became surety for the boy to my father saying, If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever. 33 Now please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a slave to my lord and let the boy go with his brothers. 34 For how can I go to my father and the boy is not with me lest perhaps I see the evil that will find my father?
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