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Chapter 44 |
1 | And he commanded the steward of his house,
saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and
put every man's money in his sack's mouth. |
2 |
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his
corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. |
3 | As soon as the
morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. |
4 | And when they were gone out of the city,
and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the
men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye
rewarded evil for good? |
5 | Is not
this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye
have done evil in so doing. |
6 | And he
overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. |
7 | And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my
lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to
this thing: |
8 | Behold,
the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto
thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy
lord's house silver or gold? |
9 | With
whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also
will be my lord's bondmen. |
10 | And he
said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is
found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. |
11 | Then they speedily took down every man his
sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. |
12 | And he searched, and began at the eldest,
and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. |
13 |
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned
to the city. |
14 | And Judah and his brethren came to
Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the
ground. |
15 |
And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye
not that such a man as I can certainly divine? |
16 | And
Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how
shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy
servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with
whom the cup is found. |
17 | And he said,
God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is
found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto
your father. |
18
| Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy
servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine
anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. |
19 | My
lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? |
20 |
And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old
age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother,
and his father loveth him. |
21
| And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that
I may set mine eyes upon him. |
22 |
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he
should leave his father, his father would die. |
23 | And
thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down
with you, ye shall see my face no more. |
24 |
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told
him the words of my lord. |
25 |
And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. |
26 | And we said, We cannot go down: if our
youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see
the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. |
27 | And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye
know that my wife bare me two sons: |
28 |
And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces;
and I saw him not since: |
29 |
And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall
bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. |
30 | Now therefore when I come to thy servant
my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up
in the lad's life; |
31 | It
shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he
will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy
servant our father with sorrow to the grave. |
32 | For
thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring
him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. |
33 | Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy
servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad
go up with his brethren. |
34 | For
how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest
peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father. |