Genesis

The first book of Moses, called Genesis, chapter 44, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 44 New English Translation

   The Final Test
   1 He instructed the servant who was over his household, "Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. 2 Then put my cup - the silver cup - in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the money for his grain." He did as Joseph instructed.
   3 When morning came, the men and their donkeys were sent off. 4 They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to the servant who was over his household, "Pursue the men at once! When you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? 5 Doesn't my master drink from this cup and use it for divination? You have done wrong!'"
   6 When the man overtook them, he spoke these words to them. 7 They answered him, "Why does my LORD say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8 Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal 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 my LORD's slaves!"
   10 He replied, "You have suggested your own punishment! The one who has it will become my slave, but the rest of you will go free." 11 So each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the man searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack! 13 They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
   14 So Judah and his brothers came back to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, "What did you think you were doing? Don't you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?"
   16 Judah replied, "What can we say to my LORD? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has exposed the sin of your servants! We are now my LORD's slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found."
   17 But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of you may go back to your father in peace."
   18 Then Judah approached him and said, "My LORD, please allow your servant to speak a word with you. Please do not get angry with your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh. 19 My LORD asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' 20 We said to my LORD, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young boy who was born when our father was old. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.'
   21 "Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him.' 22 We said to my LORD, 'The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die.' 23 But you said to your servants, 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.' 24 When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my LORD.
   25 "Then our father said, 'Go back and buy us a little food.' 26 But we replied, 'We cannot go down there. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, for we won't be permitted to see the man's face if our youngest brother is not with us.'
   27 "Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife gave me two sons. 28 The first disappeared and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair in tragedy to the grave.'
   30 "So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us - his very life is bound up in his son's life. 31 When he sees the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. 32 Indeed, your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.'
   33 "So now, please let your servant remain as my LORD's slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn't bear to see my father's pain."

King James Version

   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.
   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.
   3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
   4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto 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 this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
   6 ¶ And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.
   7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this 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, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.
   10 And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.
   11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man 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 rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
   14 ¶ And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
   15 And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
   16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto 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.
   17 And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
   18 ¶ Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.
   19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
   20 And we said unto 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.
   21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
   22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
   23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
   24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
   25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
   26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.
   27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:
   28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
   29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
   30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;
   31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
   32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.
   33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
   34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.