Genesis 44

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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.	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 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.	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 And when morning arose, they were sent away with their donkeys.	3 At daybreak the men and their donkeys were sent off.
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?	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 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.’ ”	5 It is the very one from which my master drinks and which he uses for divination. What you have done is wrong.'"
6 He did as he had been ordered. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them according to the order.	6 When the steward overtook them and repeated these words to them,
7 And they responded: “Why does our lord speak in this way, as though your servants had committed such a shameful act?	7 they remonstrated with him: "How can my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!
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?	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 will be found to have what you seek, may he die, and we shall be the servants 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 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.”	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 And so, they quickly placed their sacks down to the ground, and each one was opened.	11 Then each of them eagerly lowered his bag to the ground and opened it;
12 And when he had searched, beginning with the oldest, all the way to the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’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 But they, tearing their garments and burdening their donkeys again, returned to the town.	13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then, when each man had reloaded his donkey, they returned to the city.
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.	14 As Judah and his brothers reentered Joseph's house, he was still there; so they flung themselves on the ground before him.
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?”	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 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.”	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 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.”	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 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.	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, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’	19 My lord asked your servants, 'Have you a father, or another brother?'
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.’	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 And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me, and I will set my eyes on him.’	21 Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on 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.’	22 We replied to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; his father would die if he were to leave him.'
23 And you said to your servants: ‘Unless your youngest brother arrives with you, you will not see my face any more.’	23 But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes back with you, you shall not come into my presence again.'
24 Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.	24 When we returned to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of my lord.
25 And our father said: ‘Return and buy us a little wheat.’	25 "Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.
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.’	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 To which he responded: ‘You know that my wife conceived twice by me.	27 Then your servant our father said to us, 'As you know, my wife bore me two sons.
28 One went out, and you said, “A beast devoured him.” And since then, he has not appeared.	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 also, and anything happens to him on the way, you will lead my grey hairs down with grief to the grave.’	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 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)	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 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.	31 and your servants will thus send the white head of our father down to the nether world in grief.
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.’	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 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.	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 For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress 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."