Genesis 44

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Then Joseph instructed his chamberlain as follows: 'Fil these men's sacks with as much food as theycan carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.	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.
2 And put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack as wel as the money for hisrations.' He did as Joseph had instructed.	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.
3 At daybreak, the men were sent off with their donkeys.	3 At daybreak the men and their donkeys were sent off.
4 They had gone only a little way from the city, when Joseph said to his chamberlain, 'Away now andfol ow those men. When you catch up with them, say to them, "Why have you repaid good with evil?	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?
5 Is this not what my lord uses for drinking and also for reading omens? What you have done is wrong."'	5 It is the very one from which my master drinks and which he uses for divination. What you have done is wrong.'"
6 So when he caught up with them he repeated these words.	6 When the steward overtook them and repeated these words to them,
7 They asked him, 'What does my lord mean? Your servants would never think of doing such a thing.	7 they remonstrated with him: "How can my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!
8 Look, we brought you back the money we found in the mouths of our sacks, al the way from Canaan.Are we likely to have stolen silver or gold from your master's house?	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?
9 Whichever of your servants is found to have it shall die, and the rest of us shal be slaves of my lord.'	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."
10 'Very wel , then, it shal be as you say,' he replied, 'the one on whom it is found shall become myslave, but the rest of you can go free.'	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."
11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his own.	11 Then each of them eagerly lowered his bag to the ground and opened it;
12 He searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and found the cup inBenjamin's 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.
13 Then they tore their clothes, and when each man had reloaded his donkey they returned to the city.	13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then, when each man had reloaded his donkey, they returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph's house he was still there, so they fell on the groundin front of him.	14 As Judah and his brothers reentered Joseph's house, he was still there; so they flung themselves on the ground before him.
15 'What do you mean by doing this?' Joseph asked them. 'Did you not know that a man such as I am isa reader of omens?'	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."
16 'What can we answer my lord?' Judah replied. 'What can we say? How can we clear ourselves? Godhimself has uncovered your servants' guilt. Here we are then, my lord's slaves, we no less than the one in whose possession the cup was found.'	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."
17 'I could not think of doing such a thing,' he replied. 'The man in whose possession the cup was foundshall be my slave, but you can go back unhindered to your father.'	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."
18 At this, Judah went up to him and said, 'May it please my lord, let your servant have a word privatelywith my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.	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.
19 My lord questioned his servants, "Have you father or brother?"	19 My lord asked your servants, 'Have you a father, or another brother?'
20 And we said to my lord, "We have an old father, and a younger brother born of his old age. Hisbrother is dead, so he is the only one by that mother now left, and his father loves him."	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.'
21 Then you said to your servants, "Bring him down to me, so that I can set eyes on him."	21 Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.'
22 We replied to my lord, "The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves him, his father will die."	22 We replied to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; his father would die if he were to leave him.'
23 But you said to your servants, "If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you wil notbe admitted to my presence again."	23 But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes back with you, you shall not come into my presence again.'
24 When we went back to your servant my father, we repeated to him what my lord had said.	24 When we returned to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of my lord.
25 So when our father said, "Go back and get us a little food,"	25 "Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.
26 we said, "We cannot go down. We shall go only if our youngest brother is with us for, unless ouryoungest brother is with us, we shal not be admitted to the man's presence."	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.'
27 So your servant our father said to us, "You know that my wife bore me two children.	27 Then your servant our father said to us, 'As you know, my wife bore me two sons.
28 When one of them left me, I supposed that he must have been torn to pieces, and I have never seenhim since.	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.
29 If you take this one from me too and any harm comes to him, you wil send my white head down toSheol with grief."	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.'
30 If I go to your servant my father now, and we do not have the boy with us, he will die as soon as hesees that the boy is not with us, for his heart is bound up with him;	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;
31 and your servants will have sent your servant our father's white head down to Sheol with grief.	31 and your servants will thus send the white head of our father down to the nether world in grief.
32 Now your servant went surety to my father for the boy. I said: "If I do not bring him back to you, letme bear the blame before my father al my life."	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.'
33 Let your servant stay, then, as my lord's slave in place of the boy, I implore you, and let the boy goback with his brothers.	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.
34 How indeed could I go back to my father and not have the boy with me? I could not bear to see themisery that would overwhelm my father.'	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."