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?

Good News Translation GNT

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

2 Put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother's sack, together with the money for his grain." He did as he was told.

3 Early in the morning the brothers were sent on their way with their donkeys.

4 When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of his house, "Hurry after those men. When you catch up with them, ask them, "Why have you paid back evil for good?

5 Why did you steal my master's silver cup? It is the one he drinks from, the one he uses for divination. You have committed a serious crime!' "

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

7 They answered him, "What do you mean, sir, by talking like this? We swear that we have done no such thing.

8 You know that we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in the top of our sacks. Why then should we steal silver or gold from your master's house?

9 Sir, if any one of us is found to have it, he will be put to death, and the rest of us will become your slaves."

10 He said, "I agree; but only the one who has taken the cup will become my slave, and the rest of you can go free."

11 So they quickly lowered their sacks to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

12 Joseph's servant searched carefully, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 The brothers tore their clothes in sorrow, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They bowed down before him,

15 and Joseph said, "What have you done? Didn't you know that a man in my position could find you out by practicing divination?"

16 "What can we say to you, sir?" Judah answered. "How can we argue? How can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered our guilt. All of us are now your slaves and not just the one with whom the cup was found."

17 Joseph said, "Oh, no! I would never do that! Only the one who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back safe and sound to your father."

18 Judah went up to Joseph and said, "Please, sir, allow me to speak with you freely. Don't be angry with me; you are like the king himself.

19 Sir, you asked us, "Do you have a father or another brother?'

20 We answered, "We have a father who is old and a younger brother, born to him in his old age. The boy's brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's children still alive; his father loves him very much.'

21 Sir, you told us to bring him here, so that you could see him,

22 and we answered that the boy could not leave his father; if he did, his father would die.

23 Then you said, "You will not be admitted to my presence again unless your youngest brother comes with you.'

24 "When we went back to our father, we told him what you had said.

25 Then he told us to return and buy a little food.

26 We answered, "We cannot go; we will not be admitted to the man's presence unless our youngest brother is with us. We can go only if our youngest brother goes also.'

27 Our father said to us, "You know that my wife Rachel bore me only two sons.

28 One of them has already left me. He must have been torn to pieces by wild animals, because I have not seen him since he left.

29 If you take this one from me now and something happens to him, the sorrow you would cause me would kill me, as old as I am.'

30 "And now, sir," Judah continued, "if I go back to my father without the boy, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with me, he will die. His life is wrapped up with the life of the boy, and he is so old that the sorrow we would cause him would kill him.

32 What is more, I pledged my life to my father for the boy. I told him that if I did not bring the boy back to him, I would bear the blame all my life.

33 And now, sir, I will stay here as your slave in place of the boy; let him go back with his brothers.

34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I cannot bear to see this disaster come upon my father."