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.¹

1. the steward...: Heb. him that was over his house

² And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his grain 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 donkeys.

⁴ And when they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Arise, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say to them, Why have ye rewarded evil for good?

⁵ Is not this the cup in which my lord drinketh, and by which indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.¹

1. divineth: or, maketh trial?

⁶ And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

⁷ And they said to him, Why saith my lord these words? Far be it from us that thy servants should do according to this thing:

⁸ Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to thee from the land of Canaan: how then should we steal from thy lord’s house silver or gold?

⁹ With whomever of thy servants it shall be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.

¹⁰ And he said, Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it shall be 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 stopped at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

¹³ Then they tore their clothes, and loaded every man his donkey, 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 to them, What deed is this that ye have done? knew ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?¹

1. divine: or, make trial?

¹⁶ And Judah said, What shall we say to 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, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, go in peace to your father.

¹⁸ Then Judah came near to him, and said, O my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thy 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 to 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 to thy servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.

²² And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

²³ And thou saidst to thy servants, Except your youngest brother shall come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

²⁴ And it came to pass when we came to thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

²⁵ And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.

²⁶ And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother shall be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother shall be with us.

²⁷ And thy servant my father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore me two sons :

²⁸ And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since:

²⁹ And if ye take this also from me, and harm shall 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 is 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 to my father, saying, If I bring him not to 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 slave to my lord; and let the lad return with his brethren.

³⁴ For how shall I return to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest perhaps I see the evil that shall come on my father.¹

1. come...: Heb. find my father