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1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the brother’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money back in his sack’s mouth.”

2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his grain money.“ And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their animals.

4 And when they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, “Now follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say unto them, Why have you rewarded evil for good?

5 You have taken the silver cup, the very one from which my lord drinks, and from which he divines! You have done evil in taking it.”

6 And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

7 And they said to him, “Why do you say this? Far be it from any of your servants that they should do such a thing.

8 After all, the money which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you all the way back from Canaan; why then would we steal out of your lord’s house silver or gold?

9 With whomsoever of your servants it be found, let him die; and also we will be your lord’s slaves.”

10 And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; but he with whom it is found shall be my slave; and you shall be blameless.”

11 Then they hastened to take down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13 Then they tore their clothes, and loaded back up all the animals, and returned to the city.

14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; and when he arrived he fell before him on the ground.

15 And Joseph said to them, “What have you done? Did you think you could steal from me and get away with it?”

16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found iniquity in your servants: behold, we are your slaves, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”

17 And he said, “Far be it from me that I should take you all as slaves; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go back in peace to your father.”

18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and so not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are as high as Pharaoh.

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'

20 And we said to 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 loves him.'

21 And you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may see him.'

22 And we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

23 And you said to your servants, 'Except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more.'

24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25 And our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

26 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.'

27 And thy servant my father said unto us, 'You know that my wife gave me two sons;

28 and the one went out from me, and I said, 'Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since;'

29 and if you take this one also from me, and harm befall him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow[a] to Sheol.'

30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up[b] in the lad’s life;

31 it will come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.

32 For this your servant has become a surety for the lad unto my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.'

33 Now therefore, let your servant, I pray thee, serve instead of the lad as a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers;

34 For how shall I return to my father, if the lad is not with me? I can not bear to see what that would do to my father.”

[29] Hebrew evil.

[30 Or, his soul is knit with the lad’s soul. See 1 Sam. 18:1.