Page 44 of 50
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
(44:1)
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
(44:2)
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses
(44:3)
[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?
(44:4)
[Is] not this [it] in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing
(44:5)
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words
(44:6)
And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:
(44:7)
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?
(44:8)
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen
(44:9)
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
(44:10)
Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack
(44:11)
And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack
(44:12)
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city
(44:13)
And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he [was] yet there: and they fell before him on the ground
(44:14)
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?
(44:15)
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
(44:16)
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
(44:17)
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
(44:18)
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
(44:19)
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
(44:20)
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him
(44:21)
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for [if] he should leave his father, [his father] would die
(44:22)
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more
(44:23)
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord
(44:24)
And our father said, Go again, [and] buy us a little food
(44:25)
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
(44:26)
And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two [sons]:
(44:27)
And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
(44:28)
And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave
(44:29)
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;
(44:30)
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
(44:31)
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
(44:32)
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
(44:33)
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
(44:34)
Get Next Chapter