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44
1 And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s bags with corn as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his baggage. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the youngest one’s baggage, and his purchase-money. And he did according to Joseph’s word which he spake. 3 The morning lightened, and the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4 They had not gone far from the city, when Joseph said to him who was set over his house, Arise, follow after the men, and overtake them, and say to them, Why have you rendered evil for good? 5 Is it not this from which my lord drinketh, and, behold, by which inquiring he inquireth? You have done the thing that is evil.
6 And he overtook them, and spake with them these words. 7 And they said, Why does my lord speak these words? Be it far from thy servants to do according to this thing! 8 Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our baggages we brought to thee again from the land of Kenaan; how then should we steal from the house of thy lord vessels of silver, or vessels of gold? 9 With whomsoever of thy servants it is found, let him die; and we also will be servants to my lord. 10 And he said, According to your words, so let it be. With whomsoever it is found, he shall be my servant, but you will be acquitted. 11 And they made haste, and brought down every man his baggage to the ground; and every man opened his baggage. 12 And he searched, beginning with the greatest and finishing with the least; and the chalice was found in the baggage of Benjamin. 13 And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
14 And Jehuda entered and his brothers into Joseph’s house, for he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, What work is this which you have done? Did you not know that a man like me divining can divine? 16 And Jehuda said to him, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? How shall we be justified? Before the lord there is sin found in thy servants. Behold, we are the servants of my lord; we also and he in whose hand the chalice hath been found. 17 But he said, Far be it from me to do so: the man in whose hand the chalice has been found shall be my servant; but go you up in peace to your father.
18 And Jehuda came near to him and said, We beseech my lord, let thy servant speak a word before my lord, and let not thine anger be great with thy servant; for as Pharoh so art thou. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother? 20 And we told my lord, We have an aged father, and the youngest (son) is the son of his old age; his brother is dead; and he only remains of his mother, and his father loves him. 21 And thou saidst to thy servants, Bring him down to me, and let me set mine eyes upon him. 22 And we told my lord, His father cannot part with the youth; for if our father should part with him, he would die. 23 And thou saidst to thy servants, If your youngest brother come not down with you, you shall not see my face again. 24 And it was when we had gone up to our father, we told him these words of my lord. 25 And our father said to us, Return, and buy us a little corn. 26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother go down with us. 27 And thy servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bare me two (sons). 28 One went forth from me, and I have said, Dying he is dead; and I have not beheld him since. 29 And if you take this one also from me, and death happen to him, you will bring down my age with evil unto sheol. 30 And now, when I come to thy servant my father, and the youth be not with us, and his soul loveth him as his (own) soul; 31 When he seeth that the youth is not with us, he will die; and thy servant will have brought down the age of thy servant our father with mourning unto Sheol. 32 For thy servant was surety for the youth with our father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, let my father hold me guilty all the days. 33 And now let thy servant remain instead of the youth, as the servant of my lord, and let the youth go up with his brothers. 34 For how can I go up to my father, and the youth be not with me? Lest I should see the evil that will come upon my father!

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