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- Now 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.
- Then 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.
- As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
- They 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?
- Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.' "
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- And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.
- And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
- As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
- And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
- Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
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- When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.
- But they said to him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!
- We 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?
- If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves."
- "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."
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- And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.
- And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:
- Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
- With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.
- And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.
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- Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
- Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
- At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
- Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.
- Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?"
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- Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
- And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
- Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
- And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
- And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
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- "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."
- But 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."
- Then Judah went up to him and said: "Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.
- My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'
- And 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.'
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- And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.
- And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
- Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.
- My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
- And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
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- "Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.'
- And we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.'
- But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'
- When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.
- "Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more food.'
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- And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
- And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
- And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
- And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
- And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
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- But 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.'
- "Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.
- One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And I have not seen him since.
- If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.'
- "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,
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- And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.
- And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:
- And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
- And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
- Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;
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- sees 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.
- Your 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!'
- "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.
- How 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 upon my father."
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- It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
- For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.
- Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
- For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.
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