Genesis 44
1AND when they had drank and been plentifully regaled with him Joseph gave orders to the steward of his house saying, Fill the bags of these men with corn, as much as they can carry, and put everyone’s money in the mouth of his bag,
2and put my silver cup in the bag of the youngest along with the price of his corn. And Joseph’s orders being punctually executed;
3the next morning as soon as it was light the men were sent away they and their asses.
4And when they were gone out of the city, but had not got far off, Joseph said to his steward, Arise and pursue those men; and when thou shalt overtake them, say to them, Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver cup?
5Is not this it out of which my lord drinketh? By it indeed he divineth. You have done evil in so doing.
6So when he overtook them he spoke to them in these terms.
7Upon which they said to him, Why doth my lord speak in such terms as these: Far be it from thy servants to do such an act.
8If we indeed brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our bags, how should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?
9With whomsoever of thy servants thou shalt find the cup, let him die, and we will be our lord’s slaves.
10And he said, Well; Let it be as you say thus far—With whomsoever the cup be found, he shall be my slave; but you shall be blameless.
11Then they hastened, and set down, everyone his bag on the ground, and opened, everyone his bag.
12And he searched beginning at the eldest till he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin’s bag.
13Whereupon they rent their clothes and put everyone his bag on his ass and returned to the city.
14And Juda with his brothers went in to Joseph who was still there; and they fell on the ground before him.
15And Joseph said to them, What is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can divine?
16And Juda said, What answer can we make to my lord? Or what can we say? Or how can we justify ourselves? God hath indeed found out the iniquity of thy servants. Behold we are slaves to our lord—both we and he with whom the cup was found.
17And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do such a thing. The man with whom the cup was found shall be my servant; but as for you go up in peace to your father.
18Upon this Juda came near to him and said, O my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy presence and be not angry with thy servant, for thou art next to Pharao.
19Thou my lord didst ask thy servants saying, Have you a father or a brother?
20And we said to my lord, We have a father an old man; and he hath a younger son of his old age. His brother is dead, and as he is the only one of his mother left; his father loveth him.
21Then thou saidst to thy servants, Bring him down to me and I will take care of him.
22And we said to my lord, This son cannot leave his father; for if he were to leave him, his father would die.
23Then thou saidst to thy servants, Unless your younger brother come down with you, you shall no more be admitted to see my face.
24So when we went up to thy servant our father, we told him the words of our lord.
25And when our father said, Go again and buy for us a little food;
26we said, We cannot go. If indeed our youngest brother will go down with us, we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother be with us.
27Thereupon thy servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons;
28and that one went out from me and you said he was devoured by a wild beast and I have not seen him since.
29If therefore you take this one also from me and any misfortune happen to him on the journey, you will bring down my old age with sorrow to the grave.
30Now therefore if I should go to thy servant our father and this son be not with us, as his life dependeth on the life of this son,
31it will come to pass that when he shall see that this son is not with us he will die. Thus will thy servants bring down the old age of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32Besides as thy servant received this son from his father and said, If I bring him not back to thee and set him before thee, let me be as a sinner against my father for ever;
33now therefore let me stay with thee instead of him as a slave to my lord, and let this son go up with his brothers
34(for how can I go up to my father and this son not with us?) that I may not see the evils which will befall my father.