Genesis 44

1And 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.

1Joseph gave orders to the manager of his house, saying, 'Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s money back inside the top of his bag.

2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his grain money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

2Put my silver cup in the bag of the youngest brother, along with the money for his grain.' The manager did exactly what Joseph told him to do.

3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

3As soon as it was morning, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.

4And when they were gone out of the city, and were 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?

4They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his manager, 'Go after those men right now! When you catch up to them, ask them, "Why have you paid back good with evil?

5Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

5Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and uses for telling the future? You have done a very wicked thing!"'

6And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words.

6When the manager caught up to them, he said these exact words to them.

7And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

7But they asked him, 'Why does my lord say these things? We would never do such a thing!

8Behold, 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?

8Look, we even brought back the money we found in our bags last time all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

9With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.

9If you find the cup with any of us, let that person be put to death, and the rest of us will become your slaves.'

10And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.

10The manager replied, 'Fine, we will do as you say. The person who is found with the cup will become my slave, but the rest of you will be free to go.'

11Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

11Each of them quickly lowered his bag to the ground and opened it.

12And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

12The manager searched the bags, starting with the oldest brother and ending with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s bag.

13Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

13At this, they tore their clothes in grief. They loaded their donkeys and went back to the city.

14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

14Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house while Joseph was still there, and they threw themselves on the ground before him.

15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I can indeed divine?

15Joseph said to them, 'What have you done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divine power?'

16And 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 bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.

16Judah answered, 'What can we say to my lord? How can we explain? How can we prove we are innocent? God has uncovered our guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.'

17And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

17But Joseph said, 'I would never do that! Only the man who was found with the cup will be my slave. As for the rest of you, go back to your father in peace.'

18Then 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.

18Then Judah stepped forward and said, 'Please, my lord, let me speak a word to you. Please don't be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.

19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

19My lord asked us, "Do you have a father or a brother?"

20And 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.

20And we answered, "We have an elderly father and a younger brother born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, so he is the only one of his mother’s children left, and his father loves him dearly."

21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

21Then you told us, "Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself."

22And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

22We told my lord, "The boy cannot leave his father; if he does, his father will die."

23And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

23But you told us, "Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will never see my face again."

24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

24When we went back to my father, your servant, we told him what my lord had said.

25And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.

25Then our father said, "Go back and buy us a little more food."

26And 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.

26But we said, "We can't go unless our youngest brother is with us. We aren't allowed to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is there."

27And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

27Then my father said to us, "You know that my wife had two sons.

28and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since:

28One of them went away, and I said, 'He must have been torn to pieces,' and I haven't seen him since.

29and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.

29If you take this one away from me too and something happens to him, you will send this gray-haired man to the grave in terrible sorrow."

30Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;

30So now, if I go back to my father and the boy is not with us—since my father’s life is wrapped up in the boy’s life—

31it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.

31when he sees that the boy is not there, he will die. Your servants will be responsible for bringing our gray-haired father down to the grave in grief.

32For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

32I promised my father that I would be responsible for the boy. I said, "If I don't bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, forever."

33Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

33So now, please let me stay here as my lord’s slave instead of the boy, and let the boy go back with his brothers.

34For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.

34How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn't bear to see the misery that would overwhelm my father.'