44 15 Joseph accuseth his brother of theft. 33 Judah offereth himself to be servant for Benjamin.
1 Afterward he commanded his steward, 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 [a]put my cup, I mean, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the commandment that Joseph gave him.
3 And in the [b]morning the men were sent away, they, and their asses.
4 And when they went out of the city not far off, Joseph said to 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 that the cup wherein my lord drinketh? [c]and in the which he doth divine and prophesy? ye have done evil in so doing.
6 ¶ And when he overtook them, he said these words unto them.
7 And they answered him, Wherefore saith my lord such words? God forbid that thy servants should do such a 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, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.
10 And he said, Now then let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, and ye shall be [d]blameless.
11 Then at once every man took down his sack to the ground, and everyone opened 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 [e]rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and went again into the city.
14 ¶ So Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house (for he was yet there) and they fell before him on the ground.
15 Then Joseph said unto them, What act is this, which ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I, can divine and prophesy?
16 Then said Judah, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? and how can we justify ourselves? [f]God hath found out the wickedness of thy servants: behold, we are servants to my lord, both we, and he, with whom the cup is found.
17 But he answered, God forbid, that I should do so, but the man, with whom the cup is found, he shall be my servant, and go ye in peace unto your father.
18 ¶ Then Judah drew near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant now speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thy wrath be kindled against thy servant: for thou art even [g]as Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, saying, (A)Have ye a father, or a brother?
20 And we answered my lord, We have a father that is old, and a young [h]child, which he begat in his age: and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
21 Now thou saidest unto thy servants, Bring him unto me, that I may [i]set mine eye upon him.
22 And we answered my lord, The child cannot depart his father: for if he leave his father, his father would die.
23 Then saidest thou unto thy servants, (B)Except your younger brother come down with you, look in my face no more.
24 So when we came unto thy servant our father, and showed him what my lord had said,
25 And our father said unto us, Go again, buy us a little food.
26 Then we answered, We cannot go down, but if our youngest brother [j]go with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.
27 Then thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my [k]wife bare me two sons.
28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Of a surety he is torn in (C)pieces, and I saw him not since.
29 Now ye take this also away from me: if death take him, then [l]ye shall bring my gray head in sorrow to the grave.
30 Now therefore, when I come to thy servant my father, and the child be not with us (seeing that his [m]life dependeth on the child’s life.)
31 Then when he shall see that the child is not come, he will die: so shall thy servants bring down the gray head of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32 Doubtless thy servant became surety for the child to my father, and, (D)If I bring him not unto thee again, then I will bear the blame unto my father forever.
33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let me thy servant abide for the child, as a servant to my lord, and let the child go up with his brethren.
34 For [n]how can I go up to my father: if the child be not with me, unless I would see the evil that shall come on my father.
Footnotes
- Genesis 44:2 We may not by this example use any unlawful practices, seeing God hath commanded us to walk in simplicity.
- Genesis 44:3 Hebrew, the morning shone.
- Genesis 44:5 Because the people thought he could divine, he attributeth to himself that knowledge: or else he feigneth that he consulted with soothsayers for it: Which simulation is worthy to be reproved.
- Genesis 44:10 Hebrew, innocent.
- Genesis 44:13 To signify how greatly the thing displeased them, and how sorry they were for it.
- Genesis 44:16 If we see no evident cause of our affliction, let us look to the secret counsel of God, who punisheth us justly for our sins.
- Genesis 44:18 Equal in authority or, next unto the king.
- Genesis 44:20 Hebrew, child of his old age.
- Genesis 44:21 Or, that I may see him.
- Genesis 44:26 Hebrew, be with us.
- Genesis 44:27 Rachel bare to Jacob, Joseph and Benjamin.
- Genesis 44:29 Ye shall cause me to die for sorrow.
- Genesis 44:30 Hebrew, his soul is bound to his soul.
- Genesis 44:34 Meaning, he had rather remain their prisoner, than to return and see his father in heaviness.