Parallel Bible results for "genesis 44"

Genesis 44

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."

World English Bible WEB

1 He commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, with his grain money." He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

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

4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, tell them, 'Why have you rewarded evil for good?

5 Isn't this that from which my lord drinks, and whereby he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.'"

6 He overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

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 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?

9 With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondservants."

10 He said, "Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found will be my bondservant; and you will be blameless."

11 Then they hurried, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

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

13 Then they tore their clothes, and loaded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

15 Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Don't you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?"

16 Judah said, "What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's bondservants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found."

17 He said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my bondservant; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, "Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and don't let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.

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

20 We said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.'

21 You said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.'

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

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

24 It happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25 Our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

26 We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then will we go down: for we may not 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 and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces;" and I haven't seen him since.

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

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

32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I don't bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, a bondservant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn't with me? Lest I see the evil that will come on my father."