Benjamin and the Silver Cup

1And he commaunded the ruler of his house, saying: fill the mens sackes with foode, as much as they can cary, & put euery mans mony in his sackesmouth: 2And put my cup, my siluer cup in the sackes mouth of the youngest, and his corne money also. And he did according to the worde that Ioseph had saide. 3And in the morning assoone as it was lyght, the men were let go, they, and their asses. 4And when they were out of the citie, and not yet farre away, Ioseph sayde vnto the ruler of his house: vp, and folowe after the men, & when thou doest ouertake them, thou shalt say vnto them: wherfore haue ye rewarded euyl for good? 5Is not that the cuppe in the whiche my Lord drinketh? and for the which he consulteth with the propheciers? Ye haue euill done that ye haue done.

6And when he ouertoke them, he sayd the same wordes vnto them. 7And they aunswered him: wherfore sayeth my Lorde suche wordes? God forbid that thy seruauntes should do so. 8Beholde the money which we founde in our sackes mouthes, we brought agayne vnto thee, out of the land of Chanaan: howe then shoulde we steale out of thy Lordes house eyther siluer or golde? 9With whomsoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde, let him dye, and we also wyll be my Lordes bondmen. 10And he said, Nowe also let it be according vnto your wordes: he with whom it is founde, shalbe my seruaunt, and ye shalbe blamelesse. 11And at once euery man toke downe his sacke to the ground, and euery man opened his sacke. 12And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cuppe was founde in Beniamins sacke. 13Then they rent theyr clothes, and laded euery ma his asse, and went againe vnto the citie.

14And Iuda and his brethren came to Iosephes house (for he was yet there) and they fell before him on the ground. 15And Ioseph sayde vnto them: what deede is this that ye haue done? Wote ye not that suche a man as I do consult with propheciers? 16Then saide Iuda: what shall we say vnto my lorde? What shall we speake? or howe shall we cleare our selues? God hath founde out the wickednes of thy seruauntes: beholde, we are my lordes seruauntes, both we, yea, and he also with whom the cup is founde. 17And he aunswered, God forbid that I shoulde do so: but the man with who the cup is found, he shalbe my seruaunt, and get ye hence vp in peace vnto your father.

Judah Pleads for Benjamin

18Then Iuda went vnto him, and said: Oh my lorde, let thy seruaunt I pray thee speake a worde in my lordes eares, and be not inflamed with wrath agaynst thy seruaunt, for thou art euen as Pharao. 19My lorde asked his seruauntes, saying: haue ye a father, or a brother? 20And we aunswered my lorde: we haue a father that is olde, and a young lad, which he begat in his age: and the brother of the sayd lad is dead, and he is all that is left of his mother, and his father loueth him. 21And thou saidest vnto thy seruauntes: bryng him vnto me, that I may set my eyes vpon him. 22And we aunswered my Lorde, that the lad could not go from his father, for if he shoulde leaue his father, he were but dead. 23Then saydest thou vnto thy seruauntes: except your youngest brother come with you, loke that ye see my face no more. 24And when we came vnto thy seruaunt our father, we shewed hym the wordes of my Lorde. 25And our father sayde vnto vs: go agayne, and bye vs a litle foode. 26And we aunswered, we can not go downe: neuerthelesse, if our youngest brother be with vs, then wyll we go downe, for we may not see the mans face, except our youngest brother be with vs. 27And thy seruaunt our father sayd vnto vs: ye knowe that my wyfe bare me two sonnes. 28And the one went out from me, and I sayd, of a suretie he is torne in peeces, and I sawe him not since. 29And if ye take this also away from me, and destruction come vnto him, ye shall bryng my gray head with sorowe vnto the graue. 30Nowe therefore when I come to thy seruaunt my father, and the lad be not with vs (seing that his life hangeth by the laddes life.) 31Then shall it come to passe, that assoone as he seeth that the lad is not come, he wyll dye: so shall we thy seruauntes bryng the gray head of thy seruaunt our father with sorowe vnto the graue. 32For I thy seruaunt became suretie for the lad before my father, and saide: If I bryng hym not vnto thee agayne, I shal beare the blame vnto my father all my lyfe long. 33Nowe therefore I pray thee, let me thy seruaunt byde here for the lad, and be my lordes bondman, and let the lad go vp with his brethren. 34For howe can I go vp to my father, if the ladde be not with me? vnlesse I woulde see the wretchednesse that shall come on my father.