Benjamin and the Silver Cup 1 DRA And 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. 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 DRA And in the mouth of the younger’s sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done. 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 DRA And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses. BSB BSB: At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4 DRA And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good? 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 DRA The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing. BSB BSB: Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
6 DRA He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words. BSB BSB: When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.
7 DRA And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact? BSB BSB: “Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
8 DRA The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver? 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 DRA With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord. 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 DRA And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless. 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 DRA Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack. BSB BSB: So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12 DRA Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack. BSB BSB: The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 DRA Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town. BSB BSB: Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
14 DRA And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place), and they altogether fell down before him on the ground. 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 DRA And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining. 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 DRA And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found. 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 DRA Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father. 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.”
Judah Pleads for Benjamin 18 DRA Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art, 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 DRA My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother? BSB BSB: My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20 DRA And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly. 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 DRA And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him. BSB BSB: Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’
22 DRA We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die. BSB BSB: So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’
23 DRA And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more. BSB BSB: But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
24 DRA Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said. BSB BSB: Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.
25 DRA And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat. BSB BSB: Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’
26 DRA And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man’s face. 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 DRA Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two. BSB BSB: And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 DRA One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not. 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 DRA If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. 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 DRA Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him,) 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 DRA And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. 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 DRA Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever. 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 DRA Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren. 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 DRA For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father. 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.”