Genesis 44 NKJV NIV Parallel

◄ Genesis 44 ►

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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.

1Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver 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 one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Joseph said.

3As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

3As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.

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 far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with 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.’ ”

5Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.'"

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

6When he caught up with them, he repeated 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.

7But they said to him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!

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?

8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why 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 any of your servants is found to have 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.”

10"Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame."

11Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.

11Each of them 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 steward proceeded to search, 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 man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

13At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and 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.

14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, 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 is this you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out 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.”

16"What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my lord's slaves--we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup."

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 such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, 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 went up to him and said: "Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.

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.’

20And we answered, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and 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 said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.'

22And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

22And we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, 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 told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes 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 went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

25And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’

25"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more 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 said, 'We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

27Then 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.

28and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since.

28One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And 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 harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.'

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, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy'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.

31sees that the boy isn't there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow.

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.’

32Your servant guaranteed the boy's safety to my father. I said, 'If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, 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"Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return 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?”

34How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father."

New International Version (NIV)

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