Genesis 44:18-34 ▼

18 Then 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.

19 My lorde asked his seruauntes, saying: haue ye a father, or a brother?

20 And 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.

21 And thou saidest vnto thy seruauntes: bryng him vnto me, that I may set my eyes vpon him.

22 And we aunswered my Lorde, that the lad could not go from his father, for if he shoulde leaue his father, he were but dead.

23 Then saydest thou vnto thy seruauntes: except your youngest brother come with you, loke that ye see my face no more.

24 And when we came vnto thy seruaunt our father, we shewed hym the wordes of my Lorde.

25 And our father sayde vnto vs: go agayne, and bye vs a litle foode.

26 And 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.

27 And thy seruaunt our father sayd vnto vs: ye knowe that my wyfe bare me two sonnes.

28 And the one went out from me, and I sayd, of a suretie he is torne in peeces, and I sawe him not since.

29 And if ye take this also away from me, and destruction come vnto him, ye shall bryng my gray head with sorowe vnto the graue.

30 Nowe 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.)

31 Then 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.

32 For 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.

33 Nowe 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.

34 For 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.