| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack. | 1Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack. |
| 2Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Joseph said. | 2Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed. |
| 3As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. | 3At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. |
| 4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? | 4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? |
| 5Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.'" | 5Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’ ” |
| 6When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. | 6When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them. |
| 7But they said to him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! | 7“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. |
| 8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? | 8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? |
| 9If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves." | 9If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.” |
| 10"Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame." | 10“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.” |
| 11Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. | 11So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. |
| 12Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. | 12The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. |
| 13At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city. | 13Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city. |
| 14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. | 14When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. |
| 15Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?" | 15“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?” |
| 16"What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my lord's slaves--we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup." | 16“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.” |
| 17But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace." | 17But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.” |
| 18Then Judah went up to him and said: "Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. | 18Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself. |
| 19My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' | 19My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ |
| 20And we answered, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' | 20And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’ |
| 21"Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.' | 21Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’ |
| 22And we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.' | 22So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’ |
| 23But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' | 23But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ |
| 24When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. | 24Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him. |
| 25"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more food.' | 25Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’ |
| 26But we said, 'We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' | 26But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’ |
| 27"Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. | 27And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. |
| 28One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And I have not seen him since. | 28When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. |
| 29If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.' | 29Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ |
| 30"So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy's life, | 30So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life, |
| 31sees that the boy isn't there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. | 31sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. |
| 32Your servant guaranteed the boy's safety to my father. I said, 'If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!' | 32Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’ |
| 33"Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. | 33Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers. |
| 34How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father." | 34For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.” |
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