Genesis 44 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

Joseph’s Silver Cup

Gen 44:1When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: “Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into his sack.

Gen 44:2

Gen 44:2Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.

Gen 44:3

Gen 44:3The brothers were up at dawn and were sent on their journey with their loaded donkeys.

Gen 44:4

Gen 44:4But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, “Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil?

Gen 44:5

Gen 44:5Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup,[fn] which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!’”

Gen 44:6

Gen 44:6When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.

Gen 44:7

Gen 44:7“What are you talking about?” the brothers responded. “We are your servants and would never do such a thing!

Gen 44:8

Gen 44:8Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

Gen 44:9

Gen 44:9If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.”

Gen 44:10

Gen 44:10“That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.”

Gen 44:11

Gen 44:11They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them.

Gen 44:12

Gen 44:12The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack!

Gen 44:13

Gen 44:13When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.

Gen 44:14

Gen 44:14Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.

Gen 44:15

Gen 44:15“What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”

Gen 44:16

Gen 44:16Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.”

Gen 44:17

Gen 44:17“No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.”

Judah Speaks for His Brothers

Gen 44:18

Gen 44:18Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.

Gen 44:19

Gen 44:19“My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

Gen 44:20

Gen 44:20And we responded, ‘Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him very much.’

Gen 44:21

Gen 44:21“And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.’

Gen 44:22

Gen 44:22But we said to you, ‘My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.’

Gen 44:23

Gen 44:23But you told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’

Gen 44:24

Gen 44:24“So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said.

Gen 44:25

Gen 44:25Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’

Gen 44:26

Gen 44:26we replied, ‘We can’t go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We’ll never get to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

Gen 44:27

Gen 44:27“Then my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife had two sons,

Gen 44:28

Gen 44:28and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since.

Gen 44:29

Gen 44:29Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.[fn]’

Gen 44:30

Gen 44:30“And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life.

Gen 44:31

Gen 44:31If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave.

Gen 44:32

Gen 44:32My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’

Gen 44:33

Gen 44:33“So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.

Gen 44:34

Gen 44:34For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”