Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.

1Then he commanded his house steward, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.

2Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

2"Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph had told him.

3At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.

3As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys.

4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

4They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, "Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

5Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’ ”

5'Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.'"

6When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.

6So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.

7“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.

7They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.

8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

8"Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

9If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”

9"With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

10“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”

10So he said, "Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent."

11So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

11Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

12The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

12He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

13Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city.

14When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

14When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

15“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”

15Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?"

16“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”

16So Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord's slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found."

17But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”

17But he said, "Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

18Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself.

18Then Judah approached him, and said, "Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh.

19My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

19"My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?'

20And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

20"We said to my lord, 'We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.'

21Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’

21"Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.'

22So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’

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

23But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

23"You said to your servants, however, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'

24Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.

24"Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’

25"Our father said, 'Go back, buy us a little food.'

26But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’

26"But we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

27And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

27"Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons;

28When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.

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

29Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’

29'If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.'

30So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life,

30"Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life,

31sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.

31when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.

32Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’

32"For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.'

33Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.

33"Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.

34For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”

34"For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me-- for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?"

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