Genesis 44

¹And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.

²And in the sack's mouth of the younger put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.

³And when the morning rose, they were dismissed with their asses.

⁴And they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way: then Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, quote he, and pursue the men: and overtaking them say to them: Why have you rendered evil for good?

⁵The cup which you have stolen is that wherein my lord doth drink, and wherein he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.

⁶He did as he had commanded. And having overtaken them, he spake to them in the same order.

⁷Who answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

⁸The money that we found in the top of our sacks, we recarried to thee from the land of Chanaan: & how followeth it, that we have stolen out of thy lord's house gold or silver?

⁹With whom soever of thy servants that shall be found which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of our lord.

¹⁰Who said to them: Be it done according to your sentence: with whom soever it shall be found, be he my bondman, and you shall be guiltless.

¹¹Therefore in haste taking down their sacks upon the ground, every man opened.

¹²Which when he had searched, beginning from the elder even to the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

¹³But they renting their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.

¹⁴And Judas foremost with his brethren entered in to Joseph (for he was not yet gone out of the place) and they fell together before him on the ground.

¹⁵To whom he said: Why would you do so? Know you not that there is not the like to me in the science of divining.

¹⁶To whom Judas said: What shall we answer, my lord? Or what shall we speak, or be able justly to pretend? God hath found the iniquity of thy servants: lo we are all bondmen to my Lord, both we, & he with whom the cup was found.

¹⁷Joseph answered: God forbid that I should so do: he that stole the cup, the same be my bondman: and go you free unto your father.

¹⁸And Judas approaching nearer said boldly: I beseech thee my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thine ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,

¹⁹my Lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?

²⁰and we answered thee my lord: We have a father an old man, and a little boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and his mother hath him only, and his father loveth him tenderly.

²¹And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set mine eyes on him.

²²We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die.

²³And thou saidst to thy servants: Unless your youngest brother come with you, you shall no more see my face.

²⁴Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all things that my lord did speak.

²⁵And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat.

²⁶To whom we said: We cannot go: if our youngest brother shall go down with us, we will set forward together: otherwise he being absent, we dare not see the man's face.

²⁷Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bare me two.

²⁸One went forth, and you said: A beast did devour him: and hitherto he appeareth not.

²⁹If you take this also, and ought befall him in the way, you shall bring down my hoar hairs with sorrow unto hell.

³⁰Therefore if I shall enter to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him)

³¹and he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his hoar hairs with sorrow unto hell.

³²Let me be thy proper servant that did take him into my protection and promised, saying: Unless I bring him again I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.

³³I therefore thy servant will tarry instead of the child in the service of my lord, and let the child go up with his brethren.

³⁴For I cannot return to my father, the child being absent; lest I stand by a witness of the calamity that shall oppress my father.