Joseph’s cup in Benjamin’s sack
1Now Joseph gave this order to his steward, “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry and put back each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack, 2and put my cup, the silver cup with the money for the grain in the sack of the youngest.” The steward did as Joseph had directed.
3As soon as it was light next morning the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4When they had gone but were still not far from the city, Joseph said to his steward, “Go quickly after those men and when you have caught up with them, say this: Why have you repaid good with evil? 5Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? You have done a wicked thing.”
6When he caught up with them he repeated these words. 7They said to him, “Why does my lord speak like that? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. 8The money we found in the mouths of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan! How then could we have stolen silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9If one of your servants is found with the object, he will die and we too will become my lord’s slaves.” 10“Very well then,” he said, “it will be as you say. The one who is found to have the cup will become my master’s slave; the rest of you will go free.” 11Then each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13Then they tore their clothes and, reloading their donkeys, they returned to the city.
14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers returned and they threw themselves on the ground before him. 15Joseph said to them, “What have you done? Didn’t you know that a man such as I am is able to practice divination?” 16Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servant’s guilt; we are my lord’s slaves, we and the one who has been found with the cup.” 17But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do that. Only the man found to have the cup will be my slave. As for the rest, go back in peace to your father.”
18Judah then went forward and said, “My lord, allow your servant to speak. Do not be angry with your servant, although you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19The last time you questioned your servants saying: ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20We said to my lord: ‘We have an aged father who had a child in his old age. His brother is dead and he is the only one left of his mother’s children. And his father loves him.’ 21Then you said to us: ‘Bring him down so that I can see him for myself.’ 22We told my lord that the boy could not leave his father, for if he did, his father would die.
23You then told us that if our youngest brother did not come with us, we would not be admitted to your presence. 24All this we said to our father on returning there. 25So when he told us to come back and buy a little food, 26we said: ‘We cannot go down again unless our youngest brother is with us. We shall not be admitted to the lord’s presence unless our brother is with us.’ 27Then my father said: ‘You know that my wife had two children. 28One went away from me and has surely been torn to pieces since I have not seen him anymore. 29If you take this one from me and something happens to him you will bring my gray hair in sorrow to the grave.’ 30Now I can’t return to my father without the boy, for my father loves him very much. If he sees that the boy is not there, 31he will die and we will have sent the gray hairs of our father in sorrow to the grave.
32Now I, your servant, guaranteed the boy’s safety and said to my father: ‘If I do not bring him back, I will bear the blame before you all my life.’ 33So now let me take the place of the boy and stay here as slave and let the boy go with his brothers, 34for I can’t return to my father without the boy. Do not let me see the misery that would be too much for my father.”
