Genesis 44

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Then Joseph gave his head steward these instructions: "Fill the men's bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his bag.	1 And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.
2 In the mouth of the youngest one's bag put also my silver goblet, together with the money for his rations." The steward carried out Joseph's instructions.	2 And in the mouth of the younger's sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.
3 At daybreak the men and their donkeys were sent off.	3 And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses.
4 They had not gone far out of the city when Joseph said to his head steward: "Go at once after the men! When you overtake them, say to them, 'Why did you repay good with evil? Why did you steal the silver goblet from me?	4 And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sendingfor the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?
5 It is the very one from which my master drinks and which he uses for divination. What you have done is wrong.'"	5 The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.
6 When the steward overtook them and repeated these words to them,	6 He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.
7 they remonstrated with him: "How can my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!	7 And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?
8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money that we found in the mouths of our bags. Why, then, would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?	8 The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord's house, gold or silver?
9 If any of your servants is found to have the goblet, he shall die, and as for the rest of us, we shall become my lord's slaves."	9 With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.
10 But he replied, "Even though it ought to be as you propose, only the one who is found to have it shall become my slave, and the rest of you shall be exonerated."	10 And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.
11 Then each of them eagerly lowered his bag to the ground and opened it;	11 Them they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.
12 and when a search was made, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest, the goblet turned up in Benjamin's bag.	12 Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.
13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then, when each man had reloaded his donkey, they returned to the city.	13 Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.
14 As Judah and his brothers reentered Joseph's house, he was still there; so they flung themselves on the ground before him.	14 And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place, ) and they altogether fell down before him on the ground.
15 "How could you do such a thing?" Joseph asked them. "You should have known that such a man as I could discover by divination what happened."	15 And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.
16 Judah replied: "What can we say to my lord? How can we plead or how try to prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. Here we are, then, the slaves of my lord--the rest of us no less than the one in whose possession the goblet was found."	16 And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.
17 "Far be it from me to act thus!" said Joseph. "Only the one in whose possession the goblet was found shall become my slave; the rest of you may go back safe and sound to your father."	17 Joseph answered: God forbid that should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father.
18 Judah then stepped up to him and said: "I beg you, my lord, let your servant speak earnestly to my lord, and do not become angry with your servant, for you are the equal of Pharaoh.	18 Then Juda coming hearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears,and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,
19 My lord asked your servants, 'Have you a father, or another brother?'	19 My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?
20 So we said to my lord, 'We have an aged father, and a young brother, the child of his old age. This one's full brother is dead, and since he is the only one by that mother who is left, his father dotes on him.'	20 And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.
21 Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.'	21 And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.
22 We replied to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; his father would die if he were to leave him.'	22 We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die.
23 But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes back with you, you shall not come into my presence again.'	23 And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.
24 When we returned to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of my lord.	24 Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.
25 "Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.	25 And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat.
26 So we reminded him, 'We cannot go down there; only if our youngest brother is with us can we go, for we may not see the man if our youngest brother is not with us.'	26 And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man's face.
27 Then your servant our father said to us, 'As you know, my wife bore me two sons.	27 Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore two.
28 One of them, however, disappeared, and I had to conclude that he must have been torn to pieces by wild beasts; I have not seen him since.	28 One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not.
29 If you now take this one away from me too, and some disaster befalls him, you will send my white head down to the nether world in grief.'	29 If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell.
30 "If then the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, whose very life is bound up with his, he will die as soon as he sees that the boy is missing;	30 Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him,)
31 and your servants will thus send the white head of our father down to the nether world in grief.	31 And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell.
32 Besides, I, your servant, got the boy from his father by going surety for him, saying, 'If I fail to bring him back to you, father, you can hold it against me forever.'	32 Let me be tht proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.
33 Let me, your servant, therefore, remain in place of the boy as the slave of my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.	33 Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.
34 How could I go back to my father if the boy were not with me? I could not bear to see the anguish that would overcome my father."	34 For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.