44:1 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 silver in his sack's mouth.
44:2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his grain silver. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
44:3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
44:4 [And] when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Get up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you+ rewarded evil for good?
44:5 Isn't this that in which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed uses it for magic? You+ have done evil in so doing.
44:6 And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.
44:7 And they said to him, Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your slaves that they should do such a thing.
44:8 Look, the silver, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of your lord's house silver or gold?
44:9 With whomever of your slaves it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves.
44:10 And he said, Now also let it be according to your+ words: he with whom it is found will be my slave; and you+ will be innocent.
44:11 Then they hurried, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
44:12 And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
44:13 Then they rent their clothes, and loaded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.
44:14 And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
44:15 And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you+ have done? Don't you+ know that a man such as I can indeed use magic [to find out]?
44:16 And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your slaves: look, we are my lord's slaves, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.
44:17 And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave but as for you+, you+ get up in peace to your+ father.
44:18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, Oh, my lord, let your slave, I pray you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and don't let your anger burn against your slave; for you are even as Pharaoh.
44:19 My lord asked his slaves, saying, Have you+ a father, or a brother?
44:20 And we said to 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 loves him.
44:21 And you said to your slaves, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.
44:22 And we said to my lord, The lad can't leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
44:23 And you said to your slaves, Except your+ youngest brother come down with you+, you+ will see my face no more.
44:24 And it came to pass when we came up to your slave my father, we told him the words of my lord.
44:25 And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.
44:26 And we said, We can't go down: if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother is with us.
44:27 And your slave my father said to us, You+ know that my wife bore me two sons:
44:28 and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I haven't seen him since:
44:29 and if you+ take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you+ will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.
44:30 Now therefore when I come to your slave my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound to his soul;
44:31 it will come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not there, that he will die: and your slaves will bring down the gray hairs of your slave our father with sorrow to Sheol.
44:32 For your slave became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I don't bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.
44:33 Now therefore, let your slave, I pray you, remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers.
44:34 For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad is not with me? Or else, I will see the evil that will come upon my father.