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.