And
he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the mens sacks with
food, as much as they can carry, and put every mans money in his sacks
mouth.
2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sacks
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 lords house silver or gold?
9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both
let him die, and we also will be my lords 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 Benjamins 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 Josephs
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 lords 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 lords 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 mans
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 lads 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.