aThen 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 mouth
of his sack
.
"Put my cup
, the silver
cup
, in the mouth
of the sack
of the youngest
, and his money
for the grain
." And he did
1as Joseph
had told
him.
1As soon as it was light
, the men
were sent
away
, they with their donkeys
.
They had just gone out of athe city
, and were not far
off, 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
?
`Is not this the one from which
my lord
drinks
and which he indeed
uses
for adivination
? You have done
wrong
in doing
this
.' "
So he overtook them and spoke
these
words
to them.
They said to him, "Why
does my lord
speak
such words
as these
? Far
be it from your servants
to do
such
a thing
.
"Behold, athe money
which
we found
in the mouth
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
?
" aWith whomever of your servants
it is found
, let him die
, and we also
will be my lord's
bslaves
."
So he said, "Now
let it also
be according to your words
; he with whom
it is found
shall be my slave
, and the rest of you shall be innocent
."
Then they hurried, each
man
lowered
his sack
to the ground
, and each
man
opened
his sack
.
He searched, beginning
with the oldest
and ending
with the youngest
, and athe cup
was found
in Benjamin's
sack
.
Then they atore their clothes
, and when each
man
loaded
his donkey
, they returned
to bthe city
.
When Judah and his brothers
came
to Joseph's
house
, he was still
there
, and athey fell
to the ground
before
him.
Joseph said
to them, "What
is this
deed
that you have done
? Do you not know
that such
a man
as I can indeed
practice
adivination
?"
So Judah said
, "What
can we say
to my lord
? What
can we speak
? And how
can we justify
ourselves? God
has found
out the iniquity
of your servants
; behold
, we are my lord's
aslaves
, both
we and the one in whose
1possession
the cup
has been found
."
But he said, "Far
be it from me to do
this
. The man
in whose
1possession
the cup
has been found
, he shall be my slave
; but as for you, go
up in peace
to your father
."
Then Judah approached
him, and said
, "Oh
my lord
, may your servant
please
speak
a word
in my lord's
ears
, and 1 ado not be angry
with your servant
; for byou are equal to Pharaoh
.
" aMy lord asked
his servants
, saying
, `Have
you a father
or
a brother
?'
"We said to my lord
, `We have
an old
father
and aa little
child
of his old
age
. Now bhis brother
is dead
, so he alone
is left
of his mother
, and his father
loves
him.'
"Then you said to your servants
, ` aBring
him down
to me that I may set
my eyes
on him.'
"But we said to my lord
, `The lad
cannot
leave
his father
, for if he should leave
his father
, 1his father would die
.'
"You said to your servants
, however, ` aUnless
your youngest
brother
comes
down
with you, you will not see
my face
again
.'
"Thus it came about when
we went
up to your servant
my father
, we told
him the words
of my lord
.
" aOur father said
, `Go
back
, buy
us a little
food
.'
"But 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.'
"Your servant my father
said
to us, `You know
that amy wife
bore
me two
sons;
and the one went
out from me, and aI said
, "Surely
he is torn
in pieces
," and I have not seen
him since
.
`If you take this
one
also
from 1me, and harm
befalls
him, you will abring
my gray
hair
down
to Sheol
in 2sorrow
.'
"Now, therefore, when I come
to your servant
my father
, and the lad
is not with us, since 1 ahis life
is bound
up in the lad's life
,
when he sees that the lad
is not with us, he will die
. Thus your servants
will abring
the gray
hair
of your servant
our father
down
to Sheol
in sorrow
.
"For your servant abecame
surety
for the lad
to my father
, saying
, `If
I do not bring
him back to you, then 1let me bear
the blame
before my father
forever
.'
"Now, therefore, please
let your servant
remain
instead
of the lad
a slave
to my lord
, and let the lad
go
up with his brothers
.
"For how shall I go
up to my father
if the lad
is not with me--for fear
that I see
the evil
that would 1overtake
my father
?"