44:1 And he instructed the one who was over his household, saying, “Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry,1 and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. 44:2 Then put2 my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with the money for his grain.” And he did according to the word of Joseph that he had spoken.
44:3 When the morning was light,3 the men were sent off, they and their donkeys. 44:4 They had not gone very far from the city4 when Joseph said to the one who was over his household, “Pursue quickly after the men, when you overtake5 them, say to them, `Why have you repaid evil for good? 44:5 Is not this what my master drinks from,6 also uses it for divination?7 You have done wickedly in doing this’.”8
44:6 When he overtook them9 he spoke these words to them. 44:7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these?10 Far be it from your servants to be doing such a thing.11 44:8 Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal from the house of your master silver or gold? 44:9 With whom it may be found of your servants, he will die, and we will become slaves to my lord.”
44:10 And he said, “Thus it will be now also according to your words; he with whom it is found will become my slave, but the rest of12 you will be free.”13 44:11 So each man quickly lowered14 his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 44:12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! 44:13 They all tore their garments! Then each man loaded his donkey and they returned to the city.
44:14 So Judah and his brothers15 came to the house of Joseph (now he was still there),16 and they fell before him on the ground. 44:15 And Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can divine things?”17
44:16 And Judah said, “What can we say18 to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we clear ourselves?19 God has found out the iniquity of your servants.20 We are slaves to my lord, both we and the one in whose hand the cup was found.”
44:17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me21 to do this! The man in whose possession22 was found the cup will become my slave, and the rest of23 you, go up to your father in peace.”
44:18 Then Judah drew near to him and said, “O my lord, let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and let not you anger be kindled against your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh.24 44:19 My lord asked his servants, saying, `Do you have a father or a brother?’ 44:20 And we said to my lord, `We have a father, an old man, and there is25 a young boy, a child of his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone of his mother is left, and his father loves him.’
44:21 Then you said to your servants, `Bring him down to me, that I may26 set my eyes on him.’27 44:22 And we said to my lord, `The lad is not able to leave his father; if he leaves his father, his father28 will die.’29 44:23 But you said to your servants, `If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’30 44:24 And when we went up31 to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
44:25 Then our father said, `Return and buy for us a little food.’ 44:26 But we said, `We cannot go down.32 If our youngest brother is with us then we will go down,33 for we will not be able to see the face of the man if our youngest brother is not with us.’
44:27 And your servant my father said to us, `You know that my wife bore two sons for me. 44:28 The first went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. 44:29 If you take34 also this one from before me and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow35 to the grave.’36
44:30 So now, when I return to your servant my father and the lad is not with us—seeing that his life is bound up in his son’s life,37 44:31 and when he sees38 that the lad is not there, he will die,39 and your servants will bring down40 the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave.41 44:32 For your servant pledged security for the lad with my father, saying, `If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.’
44:33 So now, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the lad; as for the lad, let him go up with his brothers. 44:34 For how can I go up to my father if the lad is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see42 what evil43 would come on44 my father.”