Common English Bible CEB
English Standard Version ESV
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.
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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 mouth 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.
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and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain. ” And he did as Joseph told him.
3 At dawn, the men and their donkeys were sent off.
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As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys.
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?
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They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?
5 Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and uses to discover God's plans? What you've done is despicable.'"
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Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this. ’”
6 When he caught up to them, he repeated these words.
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When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words.
7 They replied, "Why does my master talk to us like this? Your servants would never do such a thing.
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They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to 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.
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Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?
9 Whoever of your servants is found with it will be put to death, and we'll be my master's slaves."
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Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants. ”
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."
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He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent. ”
11 Everyone quickly lowered their sacks down to the ground and each opened his sack.
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Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
12 He searched the oldest first and the youngest last, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
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And 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 clothing. Then everyone loaded their donkeys, and they returned to the city.
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Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, 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.
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When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground.
15 Joseph said to them, "What's this you've done? Didn't you know someone like me can discover God's plans?"
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Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination? ”
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."
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And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found. ”
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."
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But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace 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.
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Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.
19 My master asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or brother?'
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My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a 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.'
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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, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him. ’
21 You told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him.'
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Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him. ’
22 And we said to my master, ‘The young man can't leave his father. If he leaves, his father will die.'
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We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. ’
23 You said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother doesn't come down with you, you'll never see my face again.'
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Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again. ’
24 "When we went back to my father your servant, we told him what you said.
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“When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 Our father told us, ‘Go back and buy for us a little food.'
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And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy 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.'
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we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For 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 gave birth to two sons for me.
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Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 One disappeared and I said, 'He must have been torn up by a wild animal,' and I haven't seen him since.
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One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces, ” and I have never 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.'
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If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol. ’
30 When I now go back to your servant my father without the young man—whose life is so bound up with his—
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“Now therefore, as soon as 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 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.
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as soon as 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 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.'
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For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life. ’
33 Now, please let your servant stay as your slave instead of the young man so that he can go back with his brothers.
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Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy 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."
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For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father. ”
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025