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CHAPTER 44
1 Forsooth Joseph commanded the dispenser of his house, and said, Fill thou their sacks with wheat, as much as they may take, and put thou the money of each in the height [or the top] of the sack;
2 forsooth put thou in the sack’s mouth of the youngest my silver cup, and the price of the wheat which he gave; and it was done so.
3 And when the morrowtide arose, they were delivered with their asses.
4 And now they had gone out of the city, and had gone forth a little; then Joseph said, when the dispenser of his house was called, Rise thou, pursue the men, and say thou when they be taken, Why have ye yielded evil for good?
5 The cup, which ye have stolen, is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine; ye have done a full wicked thing.
6 He did as Joseph commanded, and when they were overtaken, he spake by order these things;
7 the which answered, Why speaketh our lord so, that thy servants have done so great a trespass?
8 We brought again to thee from the land of Canaan the money that we found in the height [or the top] of our sacks, and how is it pursuing [or following] that we have stolen from thy lord’s house gold or silver?
9 At whomever of thy servants this that thou seekest is found, die he, and we shall be servants of my lord.
10 Which said to them, Be it done by your sentence; at whom it is found, be he my servant; forsooth ye shall be guiltless.
11 And so they did down hastily their sacks on the earth, and all they opened them,
12 the which he sought through; and he began at the most till to the least, and he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.
13 And when they had rent their clothes, and had charged again their asses, they turned again into the city.
14 And Judah entered with his brethren to Joseph; for Joseph had not gone yet from the place; and all they fell together on the earth before him.
15 To whom he said, Why would ye do so? whether ye wot not, that none is like me in the knowing of divining?
16 To whom Judah said, What shall we answer to my lord, or what shall we speak, either what may we justly against-say? God hath found the wickedness of thy servants; lo! all we be the servants of my lord, both we and he at whom the cup is found.
17 Joseph answered, Far be it from me, that I do so; he be my servant that stole the cup; forsooth go ye free to your father.
18 Soothly Judah nighed near, and said trustily, My lord, I pray thee, thy servant speak a word in thine ears, and be thou not wroth to thy servant; for after Pharaoh thou art my lord.
19 Thou askedest first thy servants, Have ye a father, or a brother?
20 And we answered to my lord, An eld [or old] father is to us, and a little child that was born in his eld age, whose brother of the same womb is dead, and his mother hath him alone; forsooth his father loveth him tenderly.
21 And thou saidest to thy servants, Bring ye him to me, and I shall set mine eyes on him.
22 We made suggestion to thee, my lord, the child may not forsake his father; for if he shall leave his father, his father shall die.
23 And thou saidest to thy servants, If your youngest brother shall not come down with you, ye shall no more see my face.
24 Therefore when we had gone up to thy servant, our father, we told to him all things which my lord spake to us;
25 and our father said, Turn ye again, and buy ye to you a little of wheat;
26 to whom we said, We may not go; only if our least brother shall go down with us, we shall go forth together; else, if he is absent, we dare not see the lord’s face.
27 To which things our father answered, Ye know that my wife childed two sons to me;
28 one went out, and ye said, A beast [hath] devoured him, and hither-to he appeareth not;
29 if ye take also this son, and anything befall to him in the way, ye shall lead forth mine hoar hairs with mourning to hells [or to hell].
30 Therefore if I enter again to thy servant, our father, and the child fail to be with us, since his life hangeth of the life of the child,
31 and he see that the child is not with us, he shall die, and thy servants shall lead forth his hoar hairs with sorrow to hells [or to hell].
32 Be I properly thy servant, which received this child on my faith, and I promised, and said, If I shall not bring again him to thee, I shall be guilty of sin against my father in all time;
33 and so I shall dwell thy servant for the child into the service of my lord, and the child go up with his brethren;
34 for I may not go again to my father, if the child be absent, lest I stand a witness of the wretchedness that shall oppress my father.

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© 2001,2010,2011,2012,2013,2015 Terry Noble