Benjamin and the Silver Cup 1 ULT Then he commanded{ the one} who{ was} over his house, saying,“Fill the men’ s sacks{ with} food, as much as they are able to carry, and put the silver of each{ one} in the mouth 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 ULT And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest{ one}, and his grain’ s silver.” So he did according to Joseph’ s word that he spoke. 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 ULT The morning became light, and the men were sent off, they and their donkeys. BSB BSB: At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4 ULT They had left the city, they had not gone far, and Joseph said to{ the one} who{ was} over his house,“Get up, follow after the men, and{ when} you overtake them, then say to them,‘Why have you repaid 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 ULT Is this not what my lord drinks from and what he indeed divines with? You have done evil{ in} what you have done!’” BSB BSB: Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
6 ULT Then he overtook them and spoke those words to them. BSB BSB: When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.
7 ULT But they said to him,“Why does my lord speak words like those? Far be it from your servants to do something like that! BSB BSB: “Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
8 ULT Behold, the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. So how would we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord? 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 ULT Whoever of your servants is found with it, then he will die, and we also will be slaves for 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 ULT And he said,“Indeed now, according to your words, so it{ will be}: Whoever is found with it will be a slave for me, but you{ others} will 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 ULT Then they each hurried and lowered his sack to the ground, and they each opened his sack. BSB BSB: So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12 ULT Then he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found 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 ULT Then they tore their clothes, and each{ one} loaded up his donkey, and they returned to the city. BSB BSB: Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
14 ULT Then Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’ s house, and he was still there, so they fell to the ground before him. 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 ULT Then Joseph said to them,“What{ is} this deed that you have done? Did you not know that a man who{ is} like me indeed divines?” 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 ULT And Judah said,“What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the sin of your servants. Behold, we{ are} slaves for my lord, both we and{ the one} in whose hand 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 ULT But he said,“Far be it from me to do that! The man in whose hand the cup was found, he will be a slave for me. But you, go up in peace 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 ULT Then Judah went near to him and said,“Please, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’ s ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, since you{ are} like Pharaoh. 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 ULT My lord asked his servants, saying,‘Do you have a father or{ another} brother?’ BSB BSB: My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20 ULT And we said to my lord,‘We have an aged father and the youngest son of{ his} old age. But his brother is dead, so he is left by himself from his mother, and his father loves him.’ 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 ULT Then you said to your servants,‘Bring him down 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 ULT And we said to my lord,‘The young man is not able to leave his father, because{ if} he leaves his father, then 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 ULT But you said to your servants,‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face 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 ULT And it happened when we went up to your servant my father, then we related to him the words of my lord. BSB BSB: Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.
25 ULT Then our father said,‘Return, buy a little food for us.’ BSB BSB: Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’
26 ULT But we said,‘We cannot go down.{ But} if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go. For we are not able to see the man’ s face and our youngest brother not{ be} 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 ULT Then your servant my father said to us,‘You know that my wife bore two{ sons} for me. BSB BSB: And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 ULT And the one went away from me, and I have said,“He was surely torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him until now. 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 ULT So{ if} you also take this{ one} from my presence, and harm were to meet him, then you would bring my gray head down in misery to Sheol.’ 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 ULT And now, when I go to your servant my father and the young man is not with us, since his soul is bound to his soul, 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 ULT then it will happen when he sees that the young man is not{ there}, then he will die! And your servants will bring the gray head of your servant our father down in sorrow to Sheol! 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 ULT For your servant guaranteed the young man to my father, saying,‘If I do not bring him{ back} to you, then I will have sinned against my father all the days.’ 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 ULT And now, please let your servant stay{ as} a slave for my lord instead of the young man, and let the young man go up with his 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 ULT For how will I go up to my father if the young man is not with me? I fear to see the misery that would find 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.”