| NET Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1He instructed the servant who was over his household, "Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. | 1Then he commanded the steward of his house, “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, |
| 2Then put my cup--the silver cup--in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the money for his grain." He did as Joseph instructed. | 2and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him. |
| 3When morning came, the men and their donkeys were sent off. | 3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. |
| 4They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to the servant who was over his household, "Pursue the men at once! When you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? | 4They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? |
| 5Doesn't my master drink from this cup and use it for divination? You have done wrong!'" | 5Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’” |
| 6When the man overtook them, he spoke these words to them. | 6When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. |
| 7They answered him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to 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! |
| 8Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? | 8Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? |
| 9If one of us has it, he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves!" | 9Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants.” |
| 10He replied, "You have suggested your own punishment! The one who has it will become my slave, but the rest of you will go free." | 10He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” |
| 11So each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. | 11Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. |
| 12Then the man searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack! | 12And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. |
| 13They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. | 13Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. |
| 14So Judah and his brothers came back to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. | 14When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. |
| 15Joseph said to them, "What did you think you were doing? Don't you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?" | 15Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” |
| 16Judah replied, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has exposed the sin of your servants! We are now my lord's slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found." | 16And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” |
| 17But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of you may go back to your father in peace." | 17But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.” |
| 18Then Judah approached him and said, "My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you. Please do not get angry with your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh. | 18Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. |
| 19My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' | 19My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ |
| 20We said to my lord, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young boy who was born when our father was old. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' | 20And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ |
| 21"Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him.' | 21Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ |
| 22We said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die.' | 22We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ |
| 23But you said to your servants, 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.' | 23Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’ |
| 24When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. | 24“When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. |
| 25"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy us a little food.' | 25And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ |
| 26But we replied, 'We cannot go down there. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, for we won't be permitted to see the man's face if our youngest brother is not with us.' | 26we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ |
| 27"Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife gave me two sons. | 27Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. |
| 28The first disappeared and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." I have not seen him since. | 28One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. |
| 29If you take this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair in tragedy to the grave.' | 29If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’ |
| 30"So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us--his very life is bound up in his son's life. | 30“Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, |
| 31When he sees the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. | 31as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. |
| 32Indeed, your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.' | 32For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ |
| 33"So now, please let your servant remain as my lord's slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers. | 33Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. |
| 34For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn't bear to see my father's pain." | 34For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.” |
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