| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1And he commanded the steward of his house, 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. | 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. |
| 2Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. | 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. |
| 3As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. | 3When morning came, the men and their donkeys were sent off. |
| 4When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? | 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? |
| 5Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ” | 5Doesn't my master drink from this cup and use it for divination? You have done wrong!'" |
| 6So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. | 6When the man overtook them, he spoke these words to them. |
| 7And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. | 7They answered him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! |
| 8Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? | 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? |
| 9With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” | 9If one of us has it, he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves!" |
| 10And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” | 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." |
| 11Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. | 11So each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. |
| 12So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. | 12Then the man searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack! |
| 13Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city. | 13They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. |
| 14So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. | 14So Judah and his brothers came back to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. |
| 15And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?” | 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?" |
| 16Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.” | 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." |
| 17But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.” | 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." |
| 18Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. | 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. |
| 19My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ | 19My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' |
| 20And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ | 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.' |
| 21Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ | 21"Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him.' |
| 22And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ | 22We said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die.' |
| 23But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’ | 23But you said to your servants, 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.' |
| 24“So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. | 24When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. |
| 25And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ | 25"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy us a little food.' |
| 26But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ | 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.' |
| 27Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; | 27"Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife gave me two sons. |
| 28and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. | 28The first disappeared and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." I have not seen him since. |
| 29But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’ | 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.' |
| 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, | 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. |
| 31it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. | 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. |
| 32For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ | 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.' |
| 33Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. | 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. |
| 34For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?” | 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." |
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