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Revised Standard Version RSV
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.
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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 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.
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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 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
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As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their asses.
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?
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When they had gone but a short distance from the city, Joseph said to his steward, "Up, 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 Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’ ”
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Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he divines? You have done wrong in so doing.'"
6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.
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When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words.
7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!
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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 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?
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Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; how then should we steal silver or gold from your lord'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.”
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With whomever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be 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.”
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He said, "Let it be as you say: he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be blameless."
11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
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Then every man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and every man opened his sack.
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.
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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 clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
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Then they rent their clothes, and every man loaded his ass, and they 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.
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When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there; and they fell before him to the ground.
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?”
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Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed divine?"
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.”
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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 slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found."
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.”
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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 slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."
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.
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Then Judah went up to him and said, "O my lord, let your servant, I pray you, 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 lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
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My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you 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.’
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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; and his brother is dead, and 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 I can see him for myself.’
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Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.'
22 And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’
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We said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'
23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
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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 what my lord had said.
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When we went back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord.
25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’
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And when our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little 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.’
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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 bore me two sons.
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Then 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.
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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 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.’
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If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol.'
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,
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Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the lad'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.
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when he sees that the lad 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 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!’
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For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame in the sight of 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.
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Now therefore, let your servant, I pray you, remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord; and let the lad go back 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.”
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For how can I go back to my father if the lad is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would come upon my father."
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.