1 ARST Later Joseph ordered his head house- servant,“Fill the men’ s{ grain} bags with as much grain as they can take{ with them}, and in the top of their bags, put the money that each{ of them} paid{ for the grain}. BSB BSB: Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
2 ARST Also put my silver cup in the top of the youngest{ one}’ s bag, along with the money that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did exactly what Joseph had ordered{ him to do}. BSB BSB: Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.
3 ARST Early the next morning,{ Joseph} sent the brothers{ on their way}, along with their donkeys. BSB BSB: At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4 ARST { But} they had not gone very far out of the city when he ordered his head servant,“Hurry{ and} pursue those men. When you catch up with them, ask them,‘Why have you treated{ my master} so badly{ after he was} so good{ to you}? BSB BSB: They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?
5 ARST The cup{ you stole} is{ the cup} that my master drinks from. He{ also} uses it to find out secret things! What you have done is{ very} wrong!’” BSB BSB: Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
6 ARST Then the servant{ left, and when he} caught up with the men, he repeated to them what Joseph had told him{ to say}. BSB BSB: When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.
7 ARST But they replied,“Sir, why do you say such things?{ We assure you,} sir,{ that} we would never do anything like that! BSB BSB: “Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
8 ARST Remember that we returned to you the money that we discovered in our{ grain} bags{ last time}.{ We brought it}{ all the way} from{ our home in} the region of Canaan! So we would never steal silver{ things} or gold{ things}{ or anything else} from your master’ s house! BSB BSB: We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?
9 ARST { In fact,} sir, if you find that one of us does have the cup, then{ you may} execute that person, and{ the rest of} us, sir, will become your slaves.” BSB BSB: If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”
10 ARST Joseph’ s servant replied{ to them},“Okay then, I will do as you suggest{ except for this}: The one whom I find with my master’ s cup{ is the only one who} will become my slave.{ The rest of} you will be innocent{ and free to go}.” BSB BSB: “As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”
11 ARST So each of the brothers quickly took his{ grain} bag{ off his donkey} and put it on the ground, and each of them opened his{ own} bag. BSB BSB: So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12 ARST Then Joseph’ s servant searched{ their bags}. He started with the oldest{ brother} and continued until he came to the youngest{ brother}, and{ there} he found the cup in Benjamin’ s bag! BSB BSB: The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 ARST In response{ to that}, the brothers tore their clothes{ in distress}. Then each{ of them} put his bag{ back} on his{ own} donkey, and they{ all}{ turned around and} went back to the city. BSB BSB: Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
14 ARST When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’ s house, Joseph was there{ waiting for them}. So they prostrated themselves on the ground before him{ to show respect}. BSB BSB: When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.
15 ARST Then Joseph exclaimed to them,“What you have done is terrible! You should have known that someone in my position knows how to discover the secret things{ that people do}!” BSB BSB: “What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”
16 ARST Judah replied{ to him},“Sir, there is nothing{ convincing} that we can say{ to you}. There is no way that we can explain{ this}. There is no way we can prove{ to you} that we are innocent. God is punishing us for our{ past} sin.{ So now,} sir, we are{ all} here to be your slaves, including{ the one} whom{ your house- servant} found with your cup{ in his bag}.” BSB BSB: “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”
17 ARST But Joseph told{ them},“{ No,} I would never{ even} consider doing such a thing!{ Rather}{ only} the man whom{ my servant} found with my cup{ in his bag} will be my slave.{ The rest of} you are free to go{ back} home to your father.” 44:18-34 BSB BSB: But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”
18 ARST Then Judah approached Joseph and said{ to him},“Please, sir, I humbly ask you to let me speak freely to you. Please do not be angry with me,{ especially} since you{ are} as{ powerful as}{ King} Pharaoh{ himself}. BSB BSB: Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself.
19 ARST Sir,{ previously} you asked us if our father was{ still} alive and if we had{ any other} brothers. BSB BSB: My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20 ARST And we told you, sir,{ that} we have an elderly father and{ also} a younger brother who was born when our father was{ already} old. That brother’ s mother only had one other son, who is now dead. So our father{ especially} loves our youngest brother. BSB BSB: And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
21 ARST “Then you told us, sir, to bring our youngest brother{ here} to you, so that you could see him for yourself. BSB BSB: Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’
22 ARST But we told you, sir, that the young man should not leave his father{ and come here}, because if he did, his father would die{ from anxiety}. BSB BSB: So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’
23 ARST But then, sir, you told us{ that} unless our youngest brother came with us, we could never see you again. BSB BSB: But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
24 ARST “When we returned{ home} to our father, who highly respects you, we reported to him what you told{ us}. BSB BSB: Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.
25 ARST { Months} later our father told{ us},‘Go back{ to Egypt}{ and} buy some{ more} grain for us.’ BSB BSB: Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’
26 ARST But we replied{ to him},‘We cannot go{ there} unless our youngest brother is with us. Then we can go. The governor{ who sells grain there} will not allow us to see him{ again} if our youngest brother is not with us.’ BSB BSB: But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’
27 ARST Then our father said to us,‘As you know, my wife{ Rachel} and I{ only} had two{ sons} together. BSB BSB: And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 ARST One{ of her sons} left here{ one day}, and I have not seen him since then. I am sure that{ a wild animal} must have{ killed him and} torn him apart. BSB BSB: When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.
29 ARST So if you also take her other son{ away} from me, and anything harms him, you will cause me, your gray- haired father, so much grief that I will{ die and} go down to the afterworld. BSB BSB: Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’
30 ARST “So now,{ sir,} if we go{ home} to our father without his youngest son, since our father’ s life depends on his son’ s life, BSB BSB: So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life,
31 ARST if he sees that his son is gone, he will die!{ Yes,} we will cause our gray- haired father so much grief that he will{ die and} go to the afterworld! BSB BSB: sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.
32 ARST Besides that, sir, I promised my father that I would return his son to him safely. I told{ him} that if I did not bring his son{ back} to him, I would be guilty of sinning against him forever. BSB BSB: Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’
33 ARST “So then, sir, I beg you to let me stay{ here} and be your slave in place of our youngest{ brother}, and let him go back{ home} with his{ other} brothers. BSB BSB: Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.
34 ARST There is no way I can go back to my father if his youngest{ son} is not with me! I could not bear to see how terribly my father would suffer!” BSB BSB: For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”