Genesis 44

Later Joseph ordered his head house-servant, “Fill the men’s {grain} bags with as much grain as they can take {with them}, and in the top of their bags, put the money that each {of them} paid {for the grain}.

Also put my silver cup in the top of the youngest {one}’s bag, along with the money that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did exactly what Joseph had ordered {him to do}. \*

Early the next morning, {Joseph} sent the brothers {on their way}, along with their donkeys.

{But} they had not gone very far out of the city when he ordered his head servant, “Hurry {and} pursue those men. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you treated {my master} so badly {after he was} so good {to you}?

The cup {you stole} is {the cup} that my master drinks from. He {also} uses it to find out secret things! What you have done is {very} wrong!’” \*

Then the servant {left, and when he} caught up with the men, he repeated to them what Joseph had told him {to say}.

But they replied, “Sir, why do you say such things? {We assure you,} sir, {that} we would never do anything like that! \*

Remember that we returned to you the money that we discovered in our {grain} bags {last time}. {We brought it} {all the way} from {our home in} the region of Canaan! So we would never steal silver {things} or gold {things} {or anything else} from your master’s house!

{In fact,} sir, if you find that one of us does have the cup, then {you may} execute that person, and {the rest of} us, sir, will become your slaves.”

Joseph’s servant replied {to them}, “Okay then, I will do as you suggest {except for this}: The one whom I find with my master’s cup {is the only one who} will become my slave. {The rest of} you will be innocent {and free to go}.” \*

So each of the brothers quickly took his {grain} bag {off his donkey} and put it on the ground, and each of them opened his {own} bag.

Then Joseph’s servant searched {their bags}. He started with the oldest {brother} and continued until he came to the youngest {brother}, and {there} he found the cup in Benjamin’s bag!

In response {to that}, the brothers tore their clothes {in distress}. Then each {of them} put his bag {back} on his {own} donkey, and they {all} {turned around and} went back to the city. \*

When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, Joseph was there {waiting for them}. So they prostrated themselves on the ground before him {to show respect}.

Then Joseph exclaimed to them, “What you have done is terrible! You should have known that someone in my position knows how to discover the secret things {that people do}!” \*

Judah replied {to him}, “Sir, there is nothing {convincing} that we can say {to you}. There is no way that we can explain {this}. There is no way we can prove {to you} that we are innocent. God is punishing us for our {past} sin. {So now,} sir, we are {all} here to be your slaves, including {the one} whom {your house-servant} found with your cup {in his bag}.”

But Joseph told {them}, “{No,} I would never {even} consider doing such a thing! {Rather} {only} the man whom {my servant} found with my cup {in his bag} will be my slave. {The rest of} you are free to go {back} home to your father.” \*

Then Judah approached Joseph and said {to him}, “Please, sir, I humbly ask you to let me speak freely to you. Please do not be angry with me, {especially} since you {are} as {powerful as} {King} Pharaoh {himself}.

Sir, {previously} you asked us if our father was {still} alive and if we had {any other} brothers. \*

And we told you, sir, {that} we have an elderly father and {also} a younger brother who was born when our father was {already} old. That brother’s mother only had one other son, who is now dead. So our father {especially} loves our youngest brother.

Then you told us, sir, to bring our youngest brother {here} to you, so that you could see him for yourself.

But we told you, sir, that the young man should not leave his father {and come here}, because if he did, his father would die {from anxiety}. \*

But then, sir, you told us {that} unless our youngest brother came with us, we could never see you again.

When we returned {home} to our father, who highly respects you, we reported to him what you told {us}.

{Months} later our father told {us}, ‘Go back {to Egypt} {and} buy some {more} grain for us.’

But we replied {to him}, ‘We cannot go {there} unless our youngest brother is with us. Then we can go. The governor {who sells grain there} will not allow us to see him {again} if our youngest brother is not with us.’ \*

Then our father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife {Rachel} and I {only} had two {sons} together.

One {of her sons} left here {one day}, and I have not seen him since then. I am sure that {a wild animal} must have {killed him and} torn him apart.

So if you also take her other son {away} from me, and anything harms him, you will cause me, your gray-haired father, so much grief that I will {die and} go down to the afterworld.’ \*

So now, {sir,} if we go {home} to our father without his youngest son, since our father’s life depends on his son’s life,

if he sees that his son is gone, he will die! {Yes,} we will cause our gray-haired father so much grief that he will {die and} go to the afterworld!

Besides that, sir, I promised my father that I would return his son to him safely. I told {him} that if I did not bring his son {back} to him, I would be guilty of sinning against him forever. \*

So then, sir, I beg you to let me stay {here} and be your slave in place of our youngest {brother}, and let him go back {home} with his {other} brothers.

There is no way I can go back to my father if his youngest {son} is not with me! I could not bear to see how terribly my father would suffer!” \*