Genesis 44
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Joseph Detains Benjamin
44 Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the top of his sack.(A) 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the top of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4 When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to his steward, “Go, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver cup?[a] 5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks? Does he not indeed use it for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.’ ”(B)
6 When he overtook them, he repeated these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! 8 Look, the money that we found at the top of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; why then would we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?(C) 9 Should it be found with any one of your servants, let him die; moreover, the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”(D) 10 He said, “Even so; in accordance with your words, let it be: he with whom it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you shall go free.” 11 Then each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. 12 He searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 At this they tore their clothes. Then each one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.(E)
14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house while he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.(F) 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that one such as I can practice divination?”(G) 16 And Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; here we are then, my lord’s slaves, both we and also the one in whose possession the cup has been found.”(H) 17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the one in whose possession the cup was found shall be my slave, but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Judah Pleads for Benjamin’s Release
18 Then Judah stepped up to him and said, “O my lord, let your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.(I) 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead; he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’(J) 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, so that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’(K) 24 When we went back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord. 25 And when our father said, ‘Go again; buy us a little food,’ 26 we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down, for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 one left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since.(L) 29 If you take this one also from me and harm comes to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol.’(M) 30 Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, 31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame in the sight of my father all my life.’(N) 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord in place of the boy, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the suffering that would come upon my father.”
Footnotes
- 44.4 Gk Compare Vg: Heb lacks Why have you stolen my silver cup?
Genesis 44
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
44 And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.
2 And in the mouth of the younger's sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.
3 And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses.
4 And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?
5 The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.
6 He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.
7 And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?
8 The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord's house, gold or silver?
9 With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.
10 And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.
11 Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.
12 Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.
13 Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.
14 And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place,) and they altogether fell down before him on the ground.
15 And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.
16 And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.
17 Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father.
18 Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,
19 My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?
20 And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.
21 And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.
22 We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die.
23 And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.
24 Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.
25 And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat.
26 And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man's face.
27 Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.
28 One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not.
29 If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell.
30 Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him,)
31 And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell.
32 Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.
33 Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.
34 For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.
Genesis 44
The Message
44 1-2 Joseph ordered his house steward: “Fill the men’s bags with food—all they can carry—and replace each one’s money at the top of the bag. Then put my chalice, my silver chalice, in the top of the bag of the youngest, along with the money for his food.” He did as Joseph ordered.
3-5 At break of day the men were sent off with their donkeys. They were barely out of the city when Joseph said to his house steward, “Run after them. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why did you pay me back evil for good? This is the chalice my master drinks from; he also uses it for divination. This is outrageous!’”
6 He caught up with them and repeated all this word for word.
7-9 They said, “What is my master talking about? We would never do anything like that! Why, the money we found in our bags earlier, we brought back all the way from Canaan—do you think we’d turn right around and steal it back from your master? If that chalice is found on any of us, he’ll die; and the rest of us will be your master’s slaves.”
10 The steward said, “Very well then, but we won’t go that far. Whoever is found with the chalice will be my slave; the rest of you can go free.”
11-12 They outdid each other in putting their bags on the ground and opening them up for inspection. The steward searched their bags, going from oldest to youngest. The chalice showed up in Benjamin’s bag.
13 They ripped their clothes in despair, loaded up their donkeys, and went back to the city.
14 Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers got back. They threw themselves down on the ground in front of him.
15 Joseph accused them: “How can you have done this? You have to know that a man in my position would have discovered this.”
16 Judah as spokesman for the brothers said, “What can we say, master? What is there to say? How can we prove our innocence? God is behind this, exposing how bad we are. We stand guilty before you and ready to be your slaves—we’re all in this together, the rest of us as guilty as the one with the chalice.”
17 “I’d never do that to you,” said Joseph. “Only the one involved with the chalice will be my slave. The rest of you are free to go back to your father.”
18-20 Judah came forward. He said, “Please, master; can I say just one thing to you? Don’t get angry. Don’t think I’m presumptuous—you’re the same as Pharaoh as far as I’m concerned. You, master, asked us, ‘Do you have a father and a brother?’ And we answered honestly, ‘We have a father who is old and a younger brother who was born to him in his old age. His brother is dead and he is the only son left from that mother. And his father loves him more than anything.’
21-22 “Then you told us, ‘Bring him down here so I can see him.’ We told you, master, that it was impossible: ‘The boy can’t leave his father; if he leaves, his father will die.’
23 “And then you said, ‘If your youngest brother doesn’t come with you, you won’t be allowed to see me.’
24-26 “When we returned to our father, we told him everything you said to us. So when our father said, ‘Go back and buy some more food,’ we told him flatly, ‘We can’t. The only way we can go back is if our youngest brother is with us. We aren’t allowed to even see the man if our youngest brother doesn’t come with us.’
27-29 “Your servant, my father, told us, ‘You know very well that my wife gave me two sons. One turned up missing. I concluded that he’d been ripped to pieces. I’ve never seen him since. If you now go and take this one and something bad happens to him, you’ll put my old gray, grieving head in the grave for sure.’
30-32 “And now, can’t you see that if I show up before your servant, my father, without the boy, this son with whom his life is so bound up, the moment he realizes the boy is gone, he’ll die on the spot. He’ll die of grief and we, your servants who are standing here before you, will have killed him. And that’s not all. I got my father to release the boy to show him to you by promising, ‘If I don’t bring him back, I’ll stand condemned before you, Father, all my life.’
33-34 “So let me stay here as your slave, not this boy. Let the boy go back with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? Oh, don’t make me go back and watch my father die in grief!”
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson