Genesis 44 NLT NIV Parallel

◄ Genesis 44 ►

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1When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: “Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into 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.

2Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.

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.

3The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys.

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

4But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, “Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil?

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?

5Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!’”

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

6When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.

6When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.

7“What are you talking about?” the brothers responded. “We are your servants and would never 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!

8Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’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?

9If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your 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."

10“That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.”

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."

11They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them.

11Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

12The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to 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.

13When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.

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

14Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.

14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.

15“What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”

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?"

16Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.”

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."

17“No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.” Judah Speaks for His Brothers

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 stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.

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.

19“My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

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

20And we responded, ‘Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him very much.’

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.'

21“And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.’

21"Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.'

22But we said to you, ‘My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for 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 told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’

23But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'

24“So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said.

24When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

25Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’

25"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more food.'

26we replied, ‘We can’t go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We’ll never get to 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.'

27“Then my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife had two sons,

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

28and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never 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.

29Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his 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“And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’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,

31If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his 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.

32My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame 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!'

33“So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return 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 can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause 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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