Genesis 44

Joseph’s Silver Cup

44When 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.H6680H1004H559H4390H582H572H400H834H3201H5375H7760H376H3701H572H63102Then 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.H7760H1375H3701H1375H572H6310H6996H7668H3701H6213H1697H3130H16963The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys.H1242H215H582H7971H25434But 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?H3318H5892H7368H3130H559H1004H6965H7291H310H582H5381H559H7999H7451H28965Why have you stolen my master's silver cup

, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!'"H113H8354H5172H5172H7489H62136When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.H5381H1696H428H16977"What are you talking about?" the brothers responded. "We are your servants and would never do such a thing!H559H1696H113H1697H2486H5650H6213H16978Didn'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?H3701H4672H572H6310H7725H776H3667H1589H113H1004H3701H20919If 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."H5650H4672H4191H113H565010"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."H559H1697H3651H4672H5650H535511They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them.H4116H3381H376H572H776H6605H376H57212The palace manager searched the brothers' sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack!H2664H2490H1419H3615H6996H1375H4672H1144H57213When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.H7167H8071H6006H376H2543H7725H589214Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.H3063H251H935H3130H1004H5307H6440H77615"What have you done?" Joseph demanded. "Don't you know that a man like me can predict the future?"H3130H559H4639H6213H3045H376H5172H517216Judah 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."H3063H559H559H113H1696H6663H430H4672H5771H5650H113H5650H1571H834H3027H1375H467217"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."H559H2486H6213H2063H376H3027H1375H4672H5650H5927H7965H1

Judah Speaks for His Brothers

18Then 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.H3063H5066H559H994H113H5650H1696H1697H113H241H639H2734H5650H654719"My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'H113H7592H5650H559H3426H1H25120And 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.'H559H113H3426H1H2205H3206H2208H6996H251H4191H3498H517H1H15721"And you said to us, 'Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.'H559H5650H3381H7760H586922But we said to you, 'My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.'H559H113H5288H3201H5800H1H5800H1H419123But you told us, 'Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.'H559H5650H3808H6996H251H3381H7200H3254H6440H7200H325424"So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said.H5927H5650H1H5046H1697H11325Later, when he said, 'Go back again and buy us more food,'H1H559H7725H7666H4592H40026we 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.'H559H3201H3381H6996H251H3426H3381H3201H7200H376H6440H369H6996H25127"Then my father said to us, 'As you know, my wife had two sons,H5650H1H559H3045H802H3205H814728and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since.H259H3318H559H2963H2963H7200H200829Now 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

.'H3947H5973H6440H611H7136H3381H7872H7451H758530"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.H935H5650H1H5288H5315H7194H531531If 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.H7200H5288H4191H5650H3381H7872H5650H1H3015H758532My 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.'H5650H6148H5288H5973H1H559H935H2398H1H311733"So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.H5650H3427H5288H5650H113H5288H5927H25134For 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!"H349H5927H1H5288H7200H7451H4672H1