Parallel Bible results for "genesis 44"

Genesis 44

New Living Translation NLT

1 When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: “Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into his sack.

2 Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.

3 The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys.

4 But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, “Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil?

5 Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!’”

6 When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.

7 “What are you talking about?” the brothers responded. “We are your servants and would never do such a thing!

8 Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

9 If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.”

10 “That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.”

11 They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them.

12 The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack!

13 When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.

14 Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.

15 “What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”

16 Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.”

17 “No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.”

18 Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.

19 “My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20 And we responded, ‘Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him very much.’

21 “And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.’

22 But we said to you, ‘My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.’

23 But you told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’

24 “So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said.

25 Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’

26 we replied, ‘We can’t go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We’ll never get to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27 “Then my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife had two sons,

28 and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since.

29 Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave. ’

30 “And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life.

31 If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave.

32 My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’

33 “So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.

34 For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”

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."