New Living Translation

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: “Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into his sack.

1Then Joseph commanded his steward: "Fill the men's bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one's money at the top of his bag.

2Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.

2Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one's bag, along with his grain money." So he did as Joseph told him.

3The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys.

3At morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys.

4But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, “Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil?

4They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

5Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!’”

5Isn't this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wrong!'"

6When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.

6When he overtook them, he said these words to them.

7“What are you talking about?” the brothers responded. “We are your servants and would never do such a thing!

7They said to him, "Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.

8Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal gold and silver from your master's house?

9If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.”

9If any of us is found to have it, he must die, and we also will become my lord's slaves."

10“That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.”

10The steward replied, "What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless."

11They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them.

11So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

12The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to 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.

13When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.

13Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.

14When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him."

15“What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”

15What is this you have done?" Joseph said to them. "Didn't you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?""

16Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.”

16What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants' iniquity. We are now my lord's slaves--both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found."

17“No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.” Judah Speaks for His Brothers

17Then Joseph said, "I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father."

18Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.

18But Judah approached him and said, "Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.

19“My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

19My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?

20And we responded, ‘Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him very much.’

20and we answered my lord, '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“And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.’

21Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him to me so that I can see him.'

22But we said to you, ‘My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.’

22But we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.'

23But you told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’

23Then you said to your servants, 'If your younger brother does not come down with you, you will not see me again.'"

24“So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said.

24This is what happened when we went back to your servant my father: We reported your words to him.

25Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’

25But our father said, 'Go again, and buy us some food.'

26we replied, ‘We can’t go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We’ll never get to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

26We told him, 'We cannot go down unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother isn't with us, we cannot see the man.'

27“Then my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife had two sons,

27Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.

28and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since.

28One left--I said that he must have been torn to pieces--and I have never seen him again.

29Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave. ’

29If you also take this one from me and anything happens to him, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.'"

30“And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life.

30So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us--his life is wrapped up with the boy's life--

31If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave.

31when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.

32My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’

32Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, 'If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.'

33“So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.

33Now please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers.

34For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”

34For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father."

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.