Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Joseph commanded his steward, "Fill the men's bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one's silver at the top of his bag.

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, at the top of the youngest one's bag, along with the silver for his grain." So he did as Joseph told him.

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 morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys.

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

4They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

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?

5Isn't this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wrong!'"

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 he overtook them, he said these words to them.

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

7They said to him, "Why does my lord say these things? 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 at the top of our bags. How could 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 it is found with one of us, your servants, he must die, and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves."

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

10The steward replied, "What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless."

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 tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey 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 reached Joseph's house, he was still there. 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 you have done?" Joseph said to them. "Didn't you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?"

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 your servants' iniquity. We are now my lord's slaves--both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found."

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."

17Then Joseph said, "I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father."

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."

18But Judah approached him and said, "My lord, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.

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 my lord, '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 said to your servants, 'Bring him to me so that I can see him.'

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

22But 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.'

23Then you said to your servants, 'If your younger brother does not come down with you, you will not see me again.'

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

24"This is what happened when we went back to your servant my father: We reported to him the words of my lord.

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

25But our father said, 'Go again, and buy us a little food.'

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

26We told him, 'We cannot go down unless our younger brother goes with us. If our younger brother isn't 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.'

27Your 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;

28One is gone from me--I said he must have been torn to pieces--and I have never seen him again.

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

29If you also take this one from me and anything happens to him, you will bring my gray hairs 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.'

30"So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us--his life is wrapped up with 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,

31when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs 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.

32Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, 'If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.'

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 remain here as my lord's slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back 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 grief that would overwhelm my father."

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?"

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org