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