Parallel Bible results for "Genesis 44"

Genesis 44

Common English Bible CEB

1 Joseph gave commands to his household manager: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they'll hold, and put each man's silver at the top of his sack.

2 Put my cup, the silver cup, on top of the youngest brother's sack, together with the silver for his grain." So he did just as Joseph told him to do.

3 At dawn, the men and their donkeys were sent off.

4 They had left the city but hadn't gone far when Joseph said to his household manager, "Get ready, go after the men and catch up with them! Ask them, ‘Why have you repaid hospitality with ingratitude?

5 Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and uses to discover God's plans? What you've done is despicable.'"

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

7 They replied, "Why does my master talk to us like this? Your servants would never do such a thing.

8 The silver that we found at the top of our sacks, we've just brought back to you from the land of Canaan. We didn't steal silver or gold from your master's house.

9 Whoever of your servants is found with it will be put to death, and we'll be my master's slaves."

10 He said, "Fine. We'll do just as you've said. Whoever is found with it will be my slave, and the rest of you will go free."

11 Everyone quickly lowered their sacks down to the ground and each opened his sack.

12 He searched the oldest first and the youngest last, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

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

14 When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground in front of him.

15 Joseph said to them, "What's this you've done? Didn't you know someone like me can discover God's plans?"

16 Judah replied, "What can we say to my master? What words can we use? How can we prove we are innocent? God has found your servants guilty. We are now your slaves, all of us, including the one found with the cup."

17 Joseph said, "I'd never do such a thing. Only the man found with the cup will be my slave. As for the rest of you, you are free to go back to your father."

18 Judah approached him and said, “Please, my master, allow your servant to say something to my master without getting angry with your servant since you are like Pharaoh himself.

19 My master asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or brother?'

20 And we said to my master, ‘Yes, we have an elderly father and a young brother, born when he was old. His brother is dead and he's his mother's only child. But his father loves him.'

21 You told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him.'

22 And we said to my master, ‘The young man can't leave his father. If he leaves, his father will die.'

23 You said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother doesn't come down with you, you'll never see my face again.'

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

25 Our father told us, ‘Go back and buy for us a little food.'

26 But we said, ‘We can't go down. We will go down only if our youngest brother is with us. We won't be able to gain an audience with the man without our youngest brother with us.'

27 Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave birth to two sons for me.

28 One disappeared and I said, 'He must have been torn up by a wild animal,' and I haven't seen him since.

29 And if you take this one from me too, something terrible will happen to him, and you will send me—old as I am—to my grave in despair.'

30 When I now go back to your servant my father without the young man—whose life is so bound up with his—

31 and when he sees that the young man isn't with us, he will die, and your servants will have sent our father your servant—old as he is—to his grave in grief.

32 I, your servant, guaranteed the young man's safety to my father, telling him, ‘If I don't bring him back to you, it will be my fault forever.'

33 Now, please let your servant stay as your slave instead of the young man so that he can go back with his brothers.

34 How can I go back to my father without the young man? I couldn't bear to see how badly my father would be hurt."

New Revised Standard NRS

1 Then he commanded the steward of his house, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the top of his sack.

2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the top of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph told him.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys.

4 When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to his steward, "Go, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, "Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver cup?

5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks? Does he not indeed use it for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.' "

6 When he overtook them, he repeated these words to them.

7 They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

8 Look, the money that we found at the top of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; why then would we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 Should it be found with any one of your servants, let him die; moreover the rest of us will become my lord's slaves."

10 He said, "Even so; in accordance with your words, let it be: he with whom it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you shall go free."

11 Then each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.

12 He searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 At this they tore their clothes. Then each one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house while he was still there; and they fell to the ground before him.

15 Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that one such as I can practice divination?"

16 And Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; here we are then, my lord's slaves, both we and also the one in whose possession the cup has been found."

17 But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the one in whose possession the cup was found shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

18 Then Judah stepped up to him and said, "O my lord, let your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are like Pharaoh himself.

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, "Have you a father or a brother?'

20 And we said to my lord, "We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead; he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.'

21 Then you said to your servants, "Bring him down to me, so that I may set my eyes on him.'

22 We said to my lord, "The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

23 Then you said to your servants, "Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.'

24 When we went back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord.

25 And when our father said, "Go again, buy us a little food,'

26 we said, "We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother goes with us, will we go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

27 Then your servant my father said to us, "You know that my wife bore me two sons;

28 one left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces; and I have never seen him since.

29 If you take this one also from me, and harm comes to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol.'

30 Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life,

31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.

32 For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying, "If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame in the sight of my father all my life.'

33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord in place of the boy; and let the boy go back with his brothers.

34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the suffering that would come upon my father."