Genesis 44

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Then Joseph instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Fill their sacks with grain, as much as they are able to hold. And place each one’s money at the top of the 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 But place my silver bowl, and the price that he gave for the wheat, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest.” And so it was done.
3 At daybreak the men and their donkeys were sent off.	3 And when morning arose, they were sent away with their donkeys.
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 now they had departed from the city and had set out a short distance. Then Joseph, sending for the steward of his house, said: “Rise up and pursue the men. And when you have overtaken them, say: ‘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 that you have stolen, it is that from which my lord drinks, and in which he is accustomed to discern signs. You have done a very sinful thing.’ ”
6 When the steward overtook them and repeated these words to them,	6 He did as he had been ordered. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them according to the order.
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 responded: “Why does our lord speak in this way, as though your servants had committed such a shameful act?
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, which we found at the top of our sacks, we carried back to you from the land of Canaan. So in what way does it follow that we would steal, from the house of your lord, 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 Whichever of your servants will be found to have what you seek, may he die, and we shall be the servants 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 verdict. With whomever it will be found, let him be my servant, but you will be unharmed.”
11 Then each of them eagerly lowered his bag to the ground and opened it;	11 And so, they quickly placed their sacks down to the ground, and each one was opened.
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 And when he had searched, beginning with the oldest, all the way to 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 But they, tearing their garments and burdening their donkeys again, returned to 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 Judah, first among his brothers, entered to Joseph (for he had not yet departed from the place) and together they all fell down before him to 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 choose to act in this way? Could you be ignorant that there is no one like me in the knowledge of discerning signs?”
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 Judah said to him, “What could we answer to my lord? And what would we be able to say, or to justly claim? God has discovered the iniquity of your servants. See, we have all become servants 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 responded: “Far be it from me that I should act in this way. He who stole the cup, he will be my servant. But you may go 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 Judah, approaching closer, said confidently: “I beg you, my lord, let your servant speak a word in your ears, and do not be angry with your servant. For you are next to Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked your servants, 'Have you a father, or another brother?'	19 My lord, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have 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 you, my lord: ‘There is our father, an old man, and a young boy, who was born in his old age. His brother of the same womb has died, and he alone is left to his mother and father, who truly love him tenderly.’
21 Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.'	21 And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him 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 is not able to leave his father. For if he sends him away, 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 you said to your servants: ‘Unless your youngest brother arrives with you, you will not see my face any more.’
24 When we returned to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of my lord.	24 Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.
25 "Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.	25 And our father said: ‘Return 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 descends with us, we will set out together. Otherwise, in his absence, we do not dare to see the face of the man.’
27 Then your servant our father said to us, 'As you know, my wife bore me two sons.	27 To which he responded: ‘You know that my wife conceived twice by me.
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 since then, he has not appeared.
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 one also, and anything happens to him on the way, you will lead my grey hairs down with grief to the grave.’
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 would have gone to your servant, our father, with the boy not present, (though his life depends 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 if he were to see that he is not with us, he would die, and your servants will lead his grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave.
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 your very own servant, for I accepted this one into my trust, and I promised, saying: ‘Unless I lead him back, I will be guilty of a sin against my father for all time.’
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 And so I, your servant, will remain in place of the boy, in ministry to my lord, and then let the boy go up with his brothers.
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 appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress my father.”