44:001

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

44:002

And put my goblet, the silver goblet, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.' And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken

44:003

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses

44:004

And when they were gone out of the city, and were 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

44:005

Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

44:006

And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words

44:007

And they said unto him: 'Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing

44:008

Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan; how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold

44:009

With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

44:010

And he said: 'Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.

44:011

Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack

44:012

And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack

44:013

And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city

44:014

And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground

44:015

And Joseph said unto them: 'What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?

44:016

And Judah said: 'What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? G-d hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.

44:017

And he said: 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

44:018

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

44:019

My lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a brother

44:020

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

44:021

And thou saidst unto thy servants: Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him

44:022

And we said unto my lord: The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die

44:023

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

44:024

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

44:025

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

44:026

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

44:027

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

44:028

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

44:029

and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave

44:030

Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul

44:031

it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave

44:032

For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever

44:033

Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren

44:034

For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.