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 had gone out of the city , and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Arise , follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say to them, Why have ye rewarded evil for good ?
5
Is not this the cup in which my lord drinketh , and by which indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
6
And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words .
7
And they said to him, Why saith my lord these words ? Far be it from us that thy servants should do according to this thing:
8
Behold, the money which we found in our sacks' mouths , we brought again to thee from the land of Canaan : how then should we steal from thy lord 's house silver or gold ?
9
With whom soever of thy servants it shall be found , both let him die , and we also will be my lord 's bond-men.
10
And he said , Now also let it be according to your words : he with whom it shall be 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 loaded 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 to them, What deed is this that ye have done? knew ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
16
And Judah said , What shall we say to 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 , Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found , he shall be my servant ; and as for you, go in peace to your father .
18
Then Judah came near to him, and said , Oh my lord , let thy servant , I pray thee, speak a word in my lord 's ears, and let not thy 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 to 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 to thy servants , Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.
22
And we said to my lord , The lad cannot leave his father ; for if he should leave his father , his father would die .
23
And thou saidst to thy servants , Except your youngest brother shall come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
24
And it came to pass, when we came to thy servant , my father , we told him the words of my lord .
25
And our father said , Go again; buy us a little food.
26
And we said , We cannot go down : if our youngest brother shall be with us , then will we go down ; for we may not see the man 's face , except our youngest brother shall be with us .
27
And thy servant my father , said to us , Ye know that my wife bore me two sons:
28
And the one went out from me, and I said , Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since:
29
And if ye take this also from me, and mischief shall befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
30
Now 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)
31
It shall 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 the grave.
32
For thy servant became surety for the lad to my father , saying, If I bring him not to thee, then I will bear the blame to my father for ever.
33
Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad , a bond-man to my lord ; and let the lad return with his brethren .
34
For how shall I return to my father , and the lad be not with me? lest perhaps I see the evil that shall come on my father .