ULT GEN Chapter 44

Joseph’s Cup

44:1-17

44 Then he commanded the one who was over his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they are able to carry, and put the silver of each one in the mouth of his sack. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest one, and his grain’s silver.” So he did according to Joseph’s word that he spoke.

3 The morning became light, and the men were sent off, they and their donkeys. 4 They had left the city, they had not gone far, and Joseph said to the one who was over his house, “Get up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, then say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is this not what my lord drinks from and what he indeed divines with? You have done evil in what you have done!’ ”

6 Then he overtook them and spoke those words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord speak words like those? Far be it from your servants to do something like that! 8 Behold, the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. So how would we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord? 9 Whoever of your servants is found with it, then he will die, and we also will be slaves for my lord.”

10 And he said, “Indeed now, according to your words, so it will be: Whoever is found with it will be a slave for me, but you others will be blameless.” 11 Then they each hurried and lowered his sack to the ground, and they each opened his sack. 12 Then he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded up his donkey, and they returned to the city.

14 Then Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there, so they fell to the ground before him. 15 Then Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Did you not know that a man who is like me indeed divines?” 16 And Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the sin of your servants. Behold, we are slaves for my lord, both we and the one in whose hand the cup was found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me to do that! The man in whose hand the cup was found, he will be a slave for me. But you, go up in peace to your father.”

Judah Pleads for Benjamin’s Freedom

44:18-34

18 Then Judah went near to him and said, “Please, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, since you are like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Do you have a father or another brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father and the youngest son of his old age. But his brother is dead, so he is left by himself from his mother, and his father loves him.’

21 “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, and I will set my eyes on him.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The young man is not able to leave his father, because if he leaves his father, then he will die.’ 23 But you said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’

24 “Then it happened when we went up to your servant my father, then we related to him the words of my lord. 25 Then our father said, ‘Return, buy a little food for us.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. But if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go. For we are not able to see the man’s face and our youngest brother not be with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore two sons for me. 28 And the one went away from me, and I have said, “He was surely torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him until now. 29 So if you also take this one from my presence, and harm were to meet him, then you would bring my gray head down in misery to Sheol.’

30 “And now, when I go to your servant my father and the young man is not with us, since his soul is bound to his soul, 31 then it will happen when he sees that the young man is not there, then he will die! And your servants will bring the gray head of your servant our father down in sorrow to Sheol! 32 For your servant guaranteed the young man to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will have sinned against my father all the days.’

33 “And now, please let your servant stay as a slave for my lord instead of the young man, and let the young man go up with his brothers. 34 For how will I go up to my father if the young man is not with me? I fear to see the misery that would find my father!”