Genesis 44

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.

1Joseph told the man who ran his house what to do. He said, "Fill the men's bags with all the food they can carry. Put each man's silver back in the top of his bag."

2And 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.

2"Put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother's bag. Put his grain silver there too." The man did just what Joseph said.

Note"Corn" in the old English of the King James Bible means grain of any kind, like wheat or barley. It does not mean corn on the cob. "Money" here means pieces of silver, since coins had not been invented yet.

3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

3As soon as the sun came up, the men were sent away. They left with their donkeys.

4And 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?

4They had left the city, but they were not far away yet. Joseph said to his helper, "Go! Chase the men. When you catch them, ask why they paid back kindness with wrong."

5Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

5"Say to them: This is the cup my master drinks from. He also uses it to learn hidden things. What you did was very wrong."

NotePeople in that time believed some cups could be used to learn secret things. Joseph's helper says the cup was used this way.

6And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

6The helper caught up with them. He said to them exactly what Joseph had told him to say.

7And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

7The brothers said, "Why does our master say such things? We would never do a thing like that."

8Behold, 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?

8"We even brought back the silver we found in our bags. We carried it all the way from Canaan. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?"

9With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.

9"If you find the cup with any of us, let that man die. And the rest of us will be your master's slaves."

10And 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.

10The helper said, "All right, it will be close to what you said. The man who has the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free."

11Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

11Then each man quickly lowered his bag to the ground. Each man opened his own bag.

12And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

12The helper searched the bags. He started with the oldest brother and ended with the youngest. He found the cup in Benjamin's bag.

13Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

13The brothers tore their clothes to show how upset they were. They loaded their donkeys again and went back to the city.

NoteTearing your own clothes was how people long ago showed they were shocked and very sad.

14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

14Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. Joseph was still there. They bowed low to the ground in front of him.

15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

15Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Did you not know a man like me can find out hidden things?"

16And 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.

16Judah said, "What can we say to you, sir? How can we show we are not guilty? God has found the wrong in your servants. We are your slaves now. All of us, and the one who had the cup."

17And 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.

17Joseph said, "I would never do that. Only the man who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go home to your father in peace."

18Then 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.

18Then Judah came closer to Joseph. He said, "Please, sir, let me say one thing to you. Please do not be angry with me. You are as great as Pharaoh, the king of Egypt."

19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

19"Sir, you asked us, your servants, if we had a father or a brother."

20And 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.

20"We told you, sir, that we have an old father. He has a young son who was born when he was old. That boy's brother is dead. He is the only son left from his mother, and his father loves him."

21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

21"Then you told us to bring the boy down to you. You said you wanted to see him yourself."

22And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

22"We told you, sir, that the boy cannot leave his father. If he left, his father would die."

23And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

23"But you told us that we could not see your face again. You said we must bring our youngest brother with us."

24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

24"So we went back to my father, your servant. We told him what you had said."

25And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.

25"Later our father said, \"Go back and buy us a little more food.\""

26And 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.

26"We said we could not go. We could only go if our youngest brother came with us. The man in Egypt would not see us without him."

27And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

27"Then my father said to us, \"You know my wife gave me two sons.\""

28And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

28"\"One of them went away from me. I said a wild animal must have torn him apart. I have not seen him since.\""

29And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

29"\"If you take this one too, and something bad happens to him, I will die of sadness. My gray head will go down to the grave in sorrow.\""

Note"Gray hairs down to the grave" is a way of saying an old man would die from sadness.

30Now 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;

30"So now, sir, think what will happen. If I go home to my father without the boy, it will hurt him deeply. My father's whole life is tied to the boy's life."

31It 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.

31"When he sees the boy is not with us, he will die. We will have sent our old father to the grave in sorrow."

32For 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.

32"I promised my father that the boy would be safe. I said that if I did not bring him home, I would carry the blame forever."

33Now 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.

33"So please let me stay here as your slave instead of the boy. Let the boy go home with his brothers."

34For 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.

34"How can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the pain it would cause him."