Parallel Bible results for "Genesis 44"

Genesis 44

The Bible in Basic English BBE

1 Then he gave orders to the servant who was over his house, saying, Put as much food into the men's bags as will go into them, and put every man's money in the mouth of his bag;

2 And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said.

3 And at dawn the men, with their asses, were sent away.

4 And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?

5 Is not this the cup from which my lord takes wine and by which he gets knowledge of the future? Truly, you have done evil.

6 So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:

8 See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.

10 And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible.

11 Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

12 And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.

13 Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.

14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was still there: and they went down on their faces before him.

15 And Joseph said, What is this thing which you have done? had you no thought that such a man as I would have power to see what is secret?

16 And Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.

17 Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace.

18 Then Judah came near him, and said, Let your servant say a word in my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be burning against your servant: for you are in the place of Pharaoh to us.

19 My lord said to his servants, Have you a father or a brother?

20 And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.

21 And you said to your servants, Let him come down to me with you, so that I may see him.

22 And we said to my lord, His father will not let him go; for if he went away his father would come to his death.

23 But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come with you, you will not see my face again.

24 And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.

25 And our father said, Go again and get us a little food.

26 And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.

27 And our father said to us, You have knowledge that my wife gave me two sons;

28 The one went away from me, and I said, Truly he has come to a violent death; and from that time I have not seen him,

29 If now you take this one from me, and some evil comes to him, you will make my grey head go down in sorrow to the underworld.

30 If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,

31 When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld.

32 For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

33 So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.

34 For how may I go back to my father without the boy, and see the evil which will come on my father?

New International Version NIV

1 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.

2 Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.

3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.

4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

5 Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’ ”

6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.

7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!

8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”

10 “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.”

11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.

15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?”

16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.”

17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”

18 Then Judah went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.

19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20 And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

21 “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’

22 And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’

23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’

26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27 “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.

29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.’

30 “So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life,

31 sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow.

32 Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’

33 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.

34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.”