Genesis:44
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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 each man '
s money in the mouth of his sack .
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Also put my cup ,
the silver cup ,
in the mouth of the sack of the youngest ,
and his grain money ."
So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken .
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As soon as the morning dawned ,
the men were sent away ,
they and their donkeys .
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When they had gone out of the city ,
and were not yet far off ,
Joseph said to his steward , "
Get up ,
follow the men ;
and when you overtake them ,
say to them , "
Why have you repaid evil for good ?
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Is not this the one from which my lord drinks ,
and with which he indeed practices divination ?
You have done evil in so doing ."'
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So he overtook them ,
and he spoke to them these same words .
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And they said to him , "
Why does my lord say these words ?
Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing .
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Look ,
we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks .
How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord '
s house ?
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With whomever of your servants it is found ,
let him die ,
and we also will be my lord '
s slaves ."
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And he said , "
Now also let it be according to your words ;
he with whom it is found shall be my slave ,
and you shall be blameless ."
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Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground ,
and each opened his sack .
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So he searched .
He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest ;
and the cup was found in Benjamin '
s sack .
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Then they tore their clothes ,
and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city .
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So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph '
s house ,
and he was still there ;
and they fell before him on the ground .
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And Joseph said to them , "
What deed is this you have done ?
Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination ?"
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Then Judah said , "
What shall we say to my lord ?
What shall we speak ?
Or how shall we clear ourselves ?
God has found out the iniquity of your servants ;
here we are ,
my lord '
s slaves ,
both we and he also with whom the cup was found ."
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But he said , "
Far be it from me that I should do so ;
the man in whose hand the cup was found ,
he shall be my slave .
And as for you ,
go up in peace to your father ."
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Then Judah came near to him and said : "
O my lord ,
please let your servant speak a word in my lord '
s hearing ,
and do not let your anger burn against your servant ;
for you are even like Pharaoh .
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My lord asked his servants ,
saying , "
Have you a father or a brother ?'
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And we said to my lord , "
We have a father ,
an old man ,
and a child of his old age ,
who is young ;
his brother is dead ,
and he alone is left of his mother '
s children ,
and his father loves him .'
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Then you said to your servants , "
Bring him down to me ,
that I may set my eyes on him .'
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And we said to my lord , "
The lad cannot leave his father ,
for if he should leave his father ,
his father would die .'
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But you said to your servants , "
Unless your youngest brother comes down with you ,
you shall see my face no more .'
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So it was ,
when we went up to your servant my father ,
that we told him the words of my lord .
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And our father said , "
Go back and buy us a little food .'
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But we said , "
We cannot go down ;
if our youngest brother is with us ,
then we will go down ;
for we may not see the man '
s face unless our youngest brother is with us .'
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Then your servant my father said to us , "
You know that my wife bore me two sons ;
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and the one went out from me ,
and I said , "
Surely he is torn to pieces ";
and I have not seen him since .
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But if you take this one also from me ,
and calamity befalls him ,
you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave .'
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Now therefore ,
when I come to your servant my father ,
and the lad is not with us ,
since his life is bound up in the lad '
s life ,
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it will happen ,
when he sees that the lad is not with us ,
that he will die .
So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave .
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For your servant became surety for the lad to my father ,
saying , "
If I do not bring him back to you ,
then I shall bear the blame before my father forever .'
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Now therefore ,
please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord ,
and let the lad go up with his brothers .
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For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me ,
lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father ?"