Feb.
13
Genesis
44
Gen
44:1 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.
Gen
44:2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the
youngest, with his grain money." He did according to the word
that Joseph had spoken.
Gen
44:3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they
and their donkeys.
Gen
44:4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off,
Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men. When you
overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you rewarded evil for good?
Gen
44:5 Isn't this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he
indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.' "
Gen
44:6 He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.
Gen
44:7 They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as
these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!
Gen
44:8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we
brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we
steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?
Gen
44:9 With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we
also will be my lord's bondservants."
Gen
44:10 He said, "Now also let it be according to your words: he
with whom it is found will be my bondservant; and you will be
blameless."
Gen
44:11 Then they hurried, and every man took his sack down to the
ground, and every man opened his sack.
Gen
44:12 He searched, beginning with the eldest, and ending at the
youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
Gen
44:13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey,
and returned to the city.
Gen
44:14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was
still there. They fell on the ground before him.
Gen
44:15 Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have
done? Don't you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?"
Gen
44:16 Judah said, "What will we tell my lord? What will we
speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity
of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's bondservants, both we, and
he also in whose hand the cup is found."
Gen
44:17 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 bondservant; but as for
you, go up in peace to your father."
Gen
44:18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, "Oh, my lord,
please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and don't let
your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.
Gen
44:19 My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father, or a
brother?'
Gen
44:20 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.'
Gen
44:21 You said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may
set my eyes on him.'
Gen
44:22 We said to my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father: for if he
should leave his father, his father would die.'
Gen
44:23 You said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes
down with you, you will see my face no more.'
Gen
44:24 It happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told
him the words of my lord.
Gen
44:25 Our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'
Gen
44:26 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, unless
our youngest brother is with us.'
Gen
44:27 Your servant, my father, said to us, 'You know that my wife
bore me two sons:
Gen
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.
Gen
44:29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him,
you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.'
Gen
44:30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the
boy is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the boy's
life;
Gen
44:31 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he
will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your
servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.
Gen
44:32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father,
saying, 'If I don't bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to
my father forever.'
Gen
44:33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the
boy, a bondservant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his
brothers.
Gen
44:34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn't with
me?--lest I see the evil that will come on my father."