Genesis 44:6-22
English Standard Version
Chapter 44
6When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. 7They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord 's house? 9Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord 's servants." 10He said, "Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent." 11Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin 's sack. 13Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
14When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph 's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground.
15Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?"
16And Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord 's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found."
17But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father."
18Then Judah went up to him and said, "Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord 's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.
19My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’
20And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother 's children, and his father loves him.’
21Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
22We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
