Jacob’s Sons Accused of Stealing Joseph’s Silver Cup |
Genesis 44:1-34 The First Book of Moses Called Genesis |
[Joseph] commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry & to [secretly] put their money in the mouths of [their sacks.] And put my silver cup [with the money] in the sack of the youngest & he did [so]. [When] morning [dawned, they] were sent away [with their donkeys & grain.] |
When they weren’t far [from] the city, Joseph had his steward, [Catch up with] them & [ask, Why] have you rewarded [me] evil for good? Isn't this my [lord's] drinking cup, he [uses for divining?] You have done evil, in doing [this.] |
[The steward caught up to] them & spoke [those] same words to them. And they said to him, [Why would] my lord say these [things?] God forbid that your servants [would] do [something like] this. |
[You saw] we brought back the [other] money we found in the mouth of our sacks again, [when we returned from] the land of Canaan, [so why would] we steal silver or gold from our lord’s house? |
[Whichever] of your servants [the silver cup is found] let him die & we will also be my lord's [slaves.] [The steward agreed] & said, Let it now be according to your words. With [whomever] it is found, shall be my [slave] & you shall be [without blame.] |
Then, every man speedily took his sack down to the ground & opened his sack. And [the steward] searched the sacks from the [oldest] & [stopped] at the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. |
Then, they [tore] their clothes & [loaded up] their [donkeys] & returned to the city. [When they] came to Joseph’s house, he was [still] there & they fell [down] before him on the ground. And Joseph [asked,] What deed is this that you’ve done? |
[Didn’t you know] that someone [of my importance] can certainly divine? Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What [words] shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? |
God has found out the [sin] of your servants. [See,] we are my lord's servants, both [us] & he with whom the cup [was] found. [But Joseph told them, God forbid that I should do [this; but only the person who had] the cup, will be my servant & the rest [go] home to your father in peace. |
Then, Judah came near to [Joseph & said, oh, my lord, I pray [that] you let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears. And [don't] let your anger burn against your servant: for you are even [like] Pharaoh. |
[You,] my lord, asked his servants, [Do] you have a father or brother? And we said, We have a father, an old man & a child of his old age, [who is young] & his brother is dead. And he alone is left of his mother & his father loves him. And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, [so] I may [put] my eyes upon him. |
And we said to my lord, The lad can't leave his father, for if he [leaves,] his father would die. And you said to your servants, [Unless] your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall [not] see my face [anymore.] |
It [happened] when we came to my father, we told him [what you said.] and our father said, Go again & buy us a little food. And we said, We can't go down: if our youngest brother [isn't] with us. |
Our father [Jacob a.k.a. Israel] said, My wife [Rachel] [bore me] 2 sons & one went out from me & is surely torn in pieces & I have not seen him since. And if you take this [lad] from me & mischief [befalls] him, then you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. |
Therefore, when I come to my father & the lad [isn't] with us; [in that] his life is bound up in the lad's life, it shall [happen] when he sees [he] isn't with us, he will die & your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of our father with sorrow to the grave. |
[So, I] became [responsible] for the lad [for] my father & said, If I [don’t] bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever. Therefore, I pray [that] you, let [me stay here as a slave] instead of [the lad & let the lad go up with his [brothers.] |
For how shall I go up to my father & the lad [isn’t] with me? Lest I see [what] evil shall come [of] my father. |