Genesis 44

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 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 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 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 were sent off with their donkeys.	3 And when morning arose, they were sent away with their donkeys.
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 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 Is this not what my lord uses for drinking and also for reading omens? 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 So when he caught up with them he repeated these words.	6 He did as he had been ordered. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them according to the order.
7 They asked him, 'What does my lord mean? Your servants would never think of doing 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 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 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 Whichever of your servants is found to have it shall die, and the rest of us shal be slaves of my lord.'	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 '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 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 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his own.	11 And so, they quickly placed their sacks down to the ground, and each one was opened.
12 He searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and found the cup inBenjamin's sack.	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 Then they tore their clothes, and 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 When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph's house he was still there, so they fell on the groundin front of 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 '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 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 '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 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 '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 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 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 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 questioned his servants, "Have you father or brother?"	19 My lord, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have a father or a 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 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 said to your servants, "Bring him down to me, so that I can set eyes 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. If he leaves him, his father will die."	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 said to your servants, "If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you wil notbe admitted to 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 went back to your servant my father, we repeated to him what my lord had said.	24 Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.
25 So when our father said, "Go back and get us a little food,"	25 And our father said: ‘Return and buy us a little wheat.’
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 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 So your servant our father said to us, "You know that my wife bore me two children.	27 To which he responded: ‘You know that my wife conceived twice by me.
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 went out, and you said, “A beast devoured him.” And since then, he has not appeared.
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 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 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 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 have sent your servant our father's white head down to Sheol with 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 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 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 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 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 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 For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress my father.”