| New International Version | NET 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. | 1He instructed the servant who was over his household, "Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man's money 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. | 2Then put my cup--the silver cup--in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the money for his grain." He did as Joseph instructed. |
| 3As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. | 3When morning came, the men and their donkeys were sent off. |
| 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 very far from the city when Joseph said to the servant who was over his household, "Pursue the men at once! When you overtake them, say to them, '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.'" | 5Doesn't my master drink from this cup and use it for divination? You have done wrong!'" |
| 6When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. | 6When the man overtook them, he spoke 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! | 7They answered him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to 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? | 8Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then 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 one of us has it, he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves!" |
| 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." | 10He replied, "You have suggested your own punishment! The one who has it will become my slave, but the rest of you will go free." |
| 11Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. | 11So each man 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. | 12Then the man searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. 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. | 13They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they 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. | 14So Judah and his brothers came back to Joseph's house. He was still there, and they threw themselves 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?" | 15Joseph said to them, "What did you think you were doing? Don't you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?" |
| 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." | 16Judah replied, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has exposed the sin of your servants! We are now my lord's slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found." |
| 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 said, "Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of you may go back 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 him and said, "My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you. Please do not get angry with your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh. |
| 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.' | 20We said to my lord, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young boy who was born when our father was old. 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.' | 21"Then you told your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him.' |
| 22And we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.' | 22We said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will 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, 'If your youngest brother does not come 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. | 24When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. |
| 25"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more food.' | 25"Then our father said, 'Go back and buy us a little 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 replied, 'We cannot go down there. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, for we won't be permitted to see the man's face if our youngest brother is not with us.' |
| 27"Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. | 27"Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife gave 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. | 28The first disappeared and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." 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.' | 29If you take this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair in tragedy to the grave.' |
| 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, | 30"So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us--his very life is bound up in his son'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. | 31When he sees the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. |
| 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 pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before 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. | 33"So now, please let your servant remain as my lord's slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back 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 if the boy is not with me? I couldn't bear to see my father's pain." |
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