Genesis 44:18-28

18 And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let thy servant speak a word before thee, and be not angry with thy servant, for thou art next to Pharao.
19 Sir, thou askedst thy servants, saying, Have ye a father or a brother?
20 And we said to lord, We have a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him.
21 And thou saidst to they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.
22 And we said to lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die.
23 But thou saidst to they servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, ye shall not see my face again.
24 And it came to pass, when we went up to thy servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.
25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
26 And we said, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us.
27 And thy servant our father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore me two ;
28 and one is departed from me; and ye said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.

Genesis 44:18-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 44

This chapter relates the policy of Joseph in making an experiment of his brethren's regard and affection for Benjamin; he ordered his steward to put every man's money into his sack, and his silver cup in Benjamin's, and when they were got out of the city, to follow after them, and charge them with the theft, as he did; and having searched their sacks, as they desired he would, found the cup with Benjamin, which threw them into the utmost distress, and obliged them to return to Joseph, Ge 44:1-14; who charged them with their ill behaviour towards him; they acknowledge it, and propose to be his servants; but he orders them to depart to their father, retaining Benjamin in servitude, Ge 44:15-17; upon which Judah addressed him in a very polite and affectionate manner, and relates the whole story, both of what passed between Joseph and them, concerning Benjamin, the first time they were in Egypt, and between their father and them upon the same subject, when he directed them to go a second time thither to buy corn, and how he became a surety to his father for him, and therefore proposed to be his bondman now, not being able to see his father's face without Benjamin, Ge 44:18-34.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.