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