Joseph’s Plan to Trap His Brothers

44 Joseph commanded the man in charge of his house,

“Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry. Put each man’s money in his sack. ² Then put my silver cup in the youngest brother’s sack along with the money for his grain.” He did what Joseph told him.

³ At dawn the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. ⁴ They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to the man in charge of his house, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you paid me back with evil when I was good to you? ⁵ Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and that he uses for telling the future? What you have done is evil!’ ”

⁶ When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. ⁷ They answered him, “Sir, how can you say such things? We would never think of doing anything like that! ⁸ We brought the money we found in our sacks back from Canaan. So why would we steal any silver or gold from your master’s house? ⁹ If one of us has it, he will die, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”

¹⁰ “I agree,” he said. “We’ll do what you’ve said. The man who has the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you can go free.”

¹¹ Each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. ¹² Then the man made a thorough search. He began with the oldest and ended with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. ¹³ When they saw this, they tore their clothes in grief. Then each one loaded his donkey and went back into the city.

¹⁴ Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house while Joseph was still there. Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground. ¹⁵ Joseph asked them, “What have you done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out because he knows the future?”

¹⁶ “Sir, what can we say to you?” Judah asked. “How else can we explain it? How can we prove we’re innocent? God has uncovered our guilt. Now all of us are your slaves, including the one who had the cup.”

¹⁷ But Joseph said, “I would never think of doing that! Only the man who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you can go back to your father in peace.”

Judah Defends Benjamin

¹⁸ Then Judah went up to Joseph and said, “Please, sir, let me speak openly with you. Don’t be angry with me, although you are equal to Pharaoh.

³² “I guaranteed my father that the boy would come back. I said, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, then you can blame me the rest of my life, Father.’ ³³ Sir, please let me stay and be your slave in the boy’s place, and let the boy go back with his brothers. ³⁴ How could I go back to my father if the boy isn’t with me? I couldn’t bear to see my father’s misery!”

Love God and Your Neighbor^(A)

²⁸ One of the experts in Moses’ Teachings went to Jesus during the argument with the Sadducees. He saw how well Jesus answered them, so he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. ³⁰ So love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

³² The expert in Moses’ Teachings said to Jesus, “Teacher, that was well said! You’ve told the truth that there is only one God and no other besides him! ³³ To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴ When Jesus heard how wisely the man answered, he told the man, “You’re not too far from God’s kingdom.”

After that, no one dared to ask him another question.

How Can David’s Son Be David’s Lord?^(B)

³⁵ While Jesus was teaching in the temple courtyard, he asked, “How can the experts in Moses’ Teachings say that the Messiah is David’s son? ³⁶ David, guided by the Holy Spirit, said,

³⁷ David calls him Lord. So how can he be his son?”

Jesus Disapproves of the Example Set by the Experts in Moses’ Teachings^(C)

The large crowd enjoyed listening to him. ³⁸ As he taught, he said, “Watch out for the experts in Moses’ Teachings! They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and to have the front seats in synagogues and the places of honor at dinners. ⁴⁰ They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The experts in Moses’ Teachings will receive the most severe punishment.”

A Widow’s Contribution^(D)

⁴¹ As Jesus sat facing the temple offering box, he watched how ⌞much⌟ money people put into it. Many rich people put in large amounts. ⁴² A poor widow dropped in two small coins, worth less than a cent.

⁴³ He called his disciples and said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: This poor widow has given more than all the others. ⁴⁴ All of them have given what they could spare. But she, in her poverty, has given everything she had to live on.”