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Genesis 44

¹And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. ²And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his grain money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. ³As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. ⁴ when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? ⁵Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. ⁶And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words. ⁷And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing. ⁸Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of your lord's house silver or gold? ⁹With whomsoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. ¹⁰And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless. ¹¹Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. ¹²And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. ¹³Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. ¹⁴And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. ¹⁵And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I can indeed divine? ¹⁶And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of your servants: behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found. ¹⁷And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. ¹⁸Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh, my lord, let your servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not yours anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh. ¹⁹My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? ²⁰And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loveth him. ²¹And you saidst unto your servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. ²²And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. ²³And you saidst unto your servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. ²⁴And it came to pass when we came up unto your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. ²⁵And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food. ²⁶And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, expect our youngest brother be with us. ²⁷And your servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: ²⁸and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since: ²⁹and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. ³⁰Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; ³¹it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not [with us], that he will die: and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. ³²For your servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever. ³³Now therefore, let your servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. ³⁴For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.

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