<h3>A Silver Cup in a Sack</h3>44 Now 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. 2 Then 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. 3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 They 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? 5 Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’” 6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8 We 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? 9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves. ” 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.” 11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city. 14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination? ” 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. ” 17 But 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.” 18 Then 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. 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 And 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.’ 21 “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’ 23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. 25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’ 26 But 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.’ 27 “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.’ 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, 31 sees 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. 32 Your 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!’ 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. 34 How 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.”

Genesis 44:1

Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house:<cr>1</cr> “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.<cr>2</cr>

Then put my cup,<cr>1</cr> the silver one,<cr>2</cr> in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.

Genesis 44:2

As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.<cr>1</cr>

Genesis 44:3

They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward,<cr>1</cr> “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:4

Isn’t this the cup<cr>1</cr> my master drinks from and also uses for divination?<cr>2</cr> This is a wicked thing you have done.’”

Genesis 44:5

When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.

Genesis 44:6

But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants<cr>1</cr> to do anything like that!<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:7

We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan<cr>1</cr> the silver<cr>2</cr> we found inside the mouths of our sacks.<cr>3</cr> So why would we steal<cr>4</cr> silver or gold from your master’s house?

Genesis 44:8

If any of your servants<cr>1</cr> is found to have it, he will die;<cr>2</cr> and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.<cr>3</cr> ”

Genesis 44:9

“Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it<cr>1</cr> will become my slave;<cr>2</cr> the rest of you will be free from blame.”<cr>3</cr>

Genesis 44:10

Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

Genesis 44:11

Then the steward<cr>1</cr> proceeded to search,<cr>2</cr> beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest.<cr>3</cr> And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.<cr>4</cr>

Genesis 44:12

At this, they tore their clothes.<cr>1</cr> Then they all loaded their donkeys<cr>2</cr> and returned to the city.

Genesis 44:13

Joseph was still in the house<cr>1</cr> when Judah<cr>2</cr> and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.<cr>3</cr>

Genesis 44:14

Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done?<cr>1</cr> Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?<cr>2</cr> ”

Genesis 44:15

“What can we say to my lord?<cr>1</cr> ” Judah<cr>2</cr> replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence?<cr>3</cr> God has uncovered your servants’<cr>4</cr> guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves<cr>5</cr> —we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.<cr>6</cr> ”

Genesis 44:16

But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing!<cr>1</cr> Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave.<cr>2</cr> The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”<cr>3</cr>

Genesis 44:17

Then Judah<cr>1</cr> went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,<cr>2</cr> let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry<cr>3</cr> with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.

Genesis 44:18

My lord asked his servants,<cr>1</cr> ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:19

And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age.<cr>1</cr> His brother is dead,<cr>2</cr> and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’<cr>3</cr>

Genesis 44:20

“Then you said to your servants,<cr>1</cr> ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:21

And we said to my lord,<cr>1</cr> ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:22

But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’<cr>1</cr>

Genesis 44:23

When we went back to your servant my father,<cr>1</cr> we told him what my lord<cr>2</cr> had said.<cr>3</cr>

Genesis 44:24

“Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’<cr>1</cr>

Genesis 44:25

But 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.’<cr>1</cr>

Genesis 44:26

“Your servant my father<cr>1</cr> said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:27

One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.”<cr>1</cr> And I have not seen him since.<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:28

If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave<cr>1</cr> in misery.’<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:29

“So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father,<cr>1</cr> and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life,<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:30

sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die.<cr>1</cr> Your servants<cr>2</cr> will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave<cr>3</cr> in sorrow.

Genesis 44:31

Your 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!’<cr>1</cr>

Genesis 44:32

“Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave<cr>1</cr> in place of the boy,<cr>2</cr> and let the boy return with his brothers.

Genesis 44:33

How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery<cr>1</cr> that would come on my father.”<cr>2</cr>

Genesis 44:34

 1 Now 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.   2 Then 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. 3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.   4 They 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?   5 Isn’t this the cup   my master drinks from and also uses for divination?   This is a wicked thing you have done.’” 6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants   to do anything like that!   8 We 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? 9 If any of your servants   is found to have it, he will die;   and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.  ” 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.”   11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward   proceeded to search,   beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest.   And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.   13 At this, they tore their clothes.   Then they all loaded their donkeys   and returned to the city. 14 Joseph was still in the house   when Judah   and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.   15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done?   Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?  ” 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.  ” 17 But 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.”   18 Then 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. 19 My lord asked his servants,   ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’   20 And 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.’   21 “Then you said to your servants,   ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’   22 And we said to my lord,   ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’   23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’   24 When we went back to your servant my father,   we told him what my lord   had said.   25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’   26 But 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.’   27 “Your servant my father   said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.   28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.”   And I have not seen him since.   29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave   in misery.’   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,   31 sees 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. 32 Your 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!’   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. 34 How 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.”  

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

genesis 44 - NIV

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