Genesis 44 :: New International Version (NIV)

A Silver Cup in a Sack

Gen 44:1Now 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.

Gen 44:2

Gen 44:2Then 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.

Gen 44:3

Gen 44:3As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.

Gen 44:4

Gen 44:4They 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?

Gen 44:5

Gen 44:5Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’ ”

Gen 44:6

Gen 44:6When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.

Gen 44:7

Gen 44:7But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!

Gen 44:8

Gen 44:8We 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?

Gen 44:9

Gen 44:9If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”

Gen 44:10

Gen 44:10“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.”

Gen 44:11

Gen 44:11Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

Gen 44:12

Gen 44:12Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

Gen 44:13

Gen 44:13At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

Gen 44:14

Gen 44:14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.

Gen 44:15

Gen 44:15Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?”

Gen 44:16

Gen 44:16“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.”

Gen 44:17

Gen 44:17But 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.”

Gen 44:18

Gen 44:18Then Judah went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.

Gen 44:19

Gen 44:19My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

Gen 44:20

Gen 44:20And 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.’

Gen 44:21

Gen 44:21“Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’

Gen 44:22

Gen 44:22And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’

Gen 44:23

Gen 44:23But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

Gen 44:24

Gen 44:24When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

Gen 44:25

Gen 44:25“Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’

Gen 44:26

Gen 44:26But 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.’

Gen 44:27

Gen 44:27“Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

Gen 44:28

Gen 44:28One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.

Gen 44:29

Gen 44:29If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.’

Gen 44:30

Gen 44:30“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,

Gen 44:31

Gen 44:31sees 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.

Gen 44:32

Gen 44:32Your 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!’

Gen 44:33

Gen 44:33“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.

Gen 44:34

Gen 44:34How 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 on my father.”

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Genesis Chapter 44 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

Genesis 44 :: New International Version (NIV)

A Silver Cup in a Sack

Genesis Chapter 44 — Additional Translations:

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