Genesis 44
Expanded Bible
Joseph Sets a Trap
44 Then Joseph gave a command to the ·servant in charge of [L one over] his house. He said, “Fill the men’s sacks with as much ·grain [L food] as they can carry, and put each man’s ·money [silver] into his sack with the grain. 2 Put my silver ·cup [goblet] in the sack of the ·youngest [smallest] brother, along with his ·money [silver] for the grain.” ·The servant [L He] did what Joseph told him.
3 At dawn the ·brothers [L men] were sent away with their donkeys. 4 They were not far from the city when Joseph said to the ·servant in charge of [L one over] his house, “·Go after [L Get up and pursue] the men. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why have you paid back evil for good? 5 ·The cup you have stolen is the one [L Is this not what…?] my ·master [lord] uses for drinking and for ·explaining dreams [divination; C perhaps by pouring oil in water as a means of telling the future (called lecanomancy)]. ·You [L Is not what you…?] have done a very wicked thing!’ ”
6 So ·the servant [L he] caught up with ·the brothers [L them] and said to them ·what Joseph had told him to say [L these words].
7 But the brothers said to the servant, “Why do ·you [my master/lord] say these things? ·We would not [L Far be it from your servants to] do anything like that! 8 We brought back to you from the land of Canaan the ·money [silver] we found in our sacks. ·So surely we would not [L Why would we…?] steal silver or gold from your ·master’s [lord’s] house. 9 If ·you find that silver cup in the sack of one of [L it is found with one of] us, then let him die, and we will be your ·slaves [servants].”
10 ·The servant [L He] said, “·We will do [It will be] as you say, but only the man who has taken the cup will become my ·slave [servant]. The rest of you ·may go free [will be innocent].”
11 Then every brother quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened ·it [L their sack]. 12 ·The servant [L He] searched the sacks, ·going from [starting with] the oldest brother to [L and ending with] the ·youngest [smallest], and found the ·cup [goblet] in Benjamin’s sack. 13 The brothers tore their clothes [C a sign of mourning; they were afraid for Benjamin’s life]. Then they ·put their sacks back on [L loaded] the donkeys and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers ·went back to [arrived at] Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there, so ·the brothers bowed facedown [L they fell] on the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What have you done? Didn’t you know that a man like me can ·learn things by signs and dreams [L practice divination]?”
16 Judah said, “·Master [My lord], what can we say? What can we tell you? And how can we ·show we are not guilty [justify ourselves]? God has ·uncovered [L found out] our guilt, so all of us will be ·your slaves [L slaves/servants of my master/lord], not just ·Benjamin [L the one in whose hand the cup/goblet was found].”
17 But Joseph said, “·I will not make you all slaves [L Far be it from me that I should do that]! Only the man ·who stole the cup [L in whose hand the cup/goblet was found] will be my ·slave [servant]. The rest of you may go back ·safely [or in peace] to your father.”
18 Then Judah ·went to Joseph [L approached him] and said, “·Master [My lord], please let ·me [L your servant] speak ·plainly to you [L a word in your ears], and please don’t be angry with ·me [L your servant]. ·I know that you are as powerful as the king of Egypt [L You are like Pharaoh] himself. 19 ·When we were here before, you asked us [L My master/lord asked his servants], ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 And we answered ·you [L my master/lord], ‘We have an old father. And we have a younger brother, ·who was born when our father was old [L of his old age]. ·This youngest son’s [L His] brother is dead, so he is the only one of his mother’s children left alive, and ·our [L his] father loves him very much.’ 21 Then you said to ·us [L your servants], ‘Bring ·that brother [L him] to me. I want to ·see [L set my eyes on] him.’ 22 And we said to ·you [L my master/lord], ‘That young boy cannot leave his father, because if he leaves him, his father would die.’ 23 But you said to ·us [your servants], ‘If you don’t bring your youngest brother [L with you], you will not be allowed to see ·me [L my face] again.’ 24 So we went back to [L your servant] our father and told him ·what you had said [L the words of my master/lord].
25 “Later, our father said, ‘·Go again [Return] and buy us a little more food.’ 26 We said to our father, ‘We cannot go without our ·youngest [smallest] brother. Without our ·youngest [smallest] brother, we will not be allowed to see the ·governor [L face of the man].’ 27 Then [L your servant] my father said to us, ‘You know that my ·wife Rachel gave [L wife bore] me two sons. 28 When one son left me, I thought, “Surely he has been torn apart by a wild animal,” and I haven’t seen him since. 29 Now you want to take this son away from ·me [L my face/presence] also. But something ·terrible [tragic; disastrous] might happen to him, and ·I would be miserable until the day I die [L you would bring my gray head down to Sheol in sorrow].’ 30 Now what will happen if we go home to [L your servant] our father without our ·youngest [smallest] brother? ·He is so important in our father’s life [L And his life/soul is so bound up in his life/soul] that 31 when our father sees the young boy is not with us, he will die. ·And it will be our fault. We will cause the great sorrow that kills our father [L Your servants will have brought the gray head of your servant to Sheol in grief].
32 “·I gave my father a guarantee that the young boy would be safe [L For your servant provided surety for the young boy for his father]. I said to my father, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, ·you can blame me [L I will be condemned before my father] all my life.’ 33 So now, please allow ·me [L your servant] to stay here and be your ·slave [L servant in place of the young boy], and let the young boy go back home with his brothers. 34 I cannot go back to my father if the boy is not with me. I couldn’t stand to see my father ·that sad [suffer].”
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Genesis 44
New American Standard Bible
The Brothers Are Brought Back
44 (A)Then he commanded his house steward, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the opening of his sack. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the opening of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.” And he did [a]as Joseph had told him. 3 [b]As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. 4 They had just left (B)the city, and were not far away, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is this not that from which my lord drinks, and which he indeed uses for (C)divination? You have done wrong in doing this!’”
6 So [c]he overtook them and spoke these words to them. 7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8 Behold, (D)the money which we found in the opening of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 (E)With whomever of your servants it is found, he shall die, and we also shall be my lord’s (F)slaves.” 10 So he said, “Now let it indeed be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall be considered innocent.” 11 Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and (G)the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they (H)tore their clothes in grief, and when each man had loaded his donkey, they returned to (I)the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and (J)they fell down to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this thing that you have done? Do you not know that a man who is like me can indeed practice (K)divination?” 16 So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What words can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s (L)slaves, both we and the one in whose [d]possession the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose [e]possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
18 Then Judah approached him and said, “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and [f](M)do not be angry with your servant; for (N)you are equal to Pharaoh. 19 (O)My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and (P)a little boy born in our father’s old age. Now (Q)his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘(R)Bring him down to me so that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, [g]his father would die.’ 23 You said to your servants, however, ‘(S)Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24 So it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And (T)our father said, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will 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 (U)my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one left me, and (V)I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him since. 29 If you also take this one from [h]me, and harm happens to him, you will (W)bring my gray hair down to Sheol in [i]sorrow.’ 30 So now, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us—since [j](X)our father’s life is so attached to the boy’s life— 31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. So your servants will (Y)bring the gray hair of your servant, our father, down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 For your servant (Z)accepted responsibility for the boy from my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then [k]my father can let me take the blame forever.’ 33 So now, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the boy, and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear that I may see the evil that would [l]overtake my father.”
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- Genesis 44:2 Or according to the word
- Genesis 44:3 Lit The morning was light
- Genesis 44:6 I.e., the steward
- Genesis 44:16 Lit hand
- Genesis 44:17 Lit hand
- Genesis 44:18 Lit let not your anger burn against
- Genesis 44:22 Lit he would
- Genesis 44:29 Lit my face
- Genesis 44:29 Lit evil
- Genesis 44:30 Lit his soul is bound with his soul
- Genesis 44:32 Lit I will be culpable for all the days before my father
- Genesis 44:34 Lit find
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