1 He commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth. 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money." 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 donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? 5 Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’" 6 He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.
7 They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house? 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves."
10 He said, "Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless."
11 Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.
14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?"
16 Judah said, "What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found."
17 He said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."
18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, "Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 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 You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’ 24 When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’ 26 We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not 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 went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces;" and I haven’t seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ 30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life; 31 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father."
1 约瑟吩咐管家说： "把粮食装满这些人的布袋， 要尽他们所能携带的， 又把各人的银子放在他们的袋口；
2 把我的银杯， 放在最小的袋口， 连同他买粮食的银子放进去。"管家就照着约瑟吩咐的话去作。
3 早晨天一亮， 那些人和他们的驴子都被打发走了。
4 他们出了城， 走了不远， 约瑟就对管家说： "起来， 追赶那些人； 追上了， 就对他们说： ‘你为什么以恶报善呢？
5 这不是我主人喝酒和占卜用的杯吗？你们所作的， 实在不对。’"
6 管家追上了他们， 就对他们说了这些话。
7 他们对管家说： "我主为什么说这样的话呢？你的仆人绝不会作这样的事。
8 你看， 我们从前在袋口发现的银子， 尚且从迦南地带来还给你， 我们又怎会从你主人的家里偷取金银呢？
9 在你仆人当中， 无论在谁那里搜出来， 谁就要死， 我们也要作我主的奴仆。"
10 管家说： "现在就照你们的话作吧， 只是在谁那里搜出来， 谁就要作我的奴仆， 其余的人都没有罪。"
11 于是， 他们急忙把自己的布袋卸在地上， 各人打开自己的布袋。
12 管家就搜查， 从最大的开始， 查到最小的。那杯竟在便雅悯的布袋里搜出来了。
13 他们就撕裂自己的衣服， 各人又把担子驮在驴上， 回城去了。
14 犹大和他的兄弟来到约瑟的家里， 那时约瑟还在那里； 他们就在他面前俯伏在地。
15 约瑟对他们说： "你们所作的是什么事呢？你们不知道像我这样的人必能占卜吗？"
16 犹大说： "我们对我主可以说什么呢？我们还有什么可说的呢？我们怎能证明自己是清白的呢？ 神已经查出你仆人们的罪孽了。看哪， 我们和那在他手里搜出杯来的， 都是我主的奴仆了。"
17 约瑟说： "我绝不能这样作。在谁的手里搜出杯来， 谁就要作我的奴仆； 你们其余的人， 可以平平安安地上你们父亲那里去。"
18 犹大走近约瑟身边， 说： "我主啊， 求你容许仆人说一句话给我主听， 请不要向仆人发烈怒， 因为你好像法老一样。
19 我主曾经问仆人们说： ‘你们还有父亲或其他兄弟没有？’
20 我们曾经回答我主： ‘我们还有年老的父亲和最小的弟弟， 是他年老时所生的。他的哥哥死了， 他母亲只剩下他一个孩子， 他父亲非常爱他。’
21 你就对仆人们说： ‘把他带下来到我这里， 我要亲眼看看他。’
22 我们对我主说： ‘那孩子是不能离开他父亲的； 如果离开了， 他父亲必定死。’
23 你对仆人们说： ‘如果你们最小的弟弟不与你们一同下来， 你们就不得见我的面。’
24 于是， 我们上到你仆人我们的父亲那里， 就把我主的话告诉了他。
25 后来我们的父亲说： ‘你们再去替我们买些粮食回来吧。’
26 我们就说： ‘我们不能下去， 如果有我们最小的弟弟与我们同去， 我们就下去； 因为我们最小的弟弟不与我们同去， 我们就不得见那人的面。’
27 你仆人我的父亲对我们说： ‘你们知道我的妻子只给我生了两个儿子。
28 一个已经离开我去了， 我想他必定是被野兽撕碎了； 直到现在， 我也没有见过他。
29 现在你们又要把这个从我面前带去， 如果他遇到不幸， 你们就使我这个白发老人， 悲悲惨惨地下阴间去了。’
30 我父亲的命与这孩子的命， 是相连在一起的。现在我回到你仆人我的父亲那里， 如果没有孩子与我们在一起，
31 他一见没有孩子， 就必定死； 这样， 你仆人们就使你仆人我们的父亲， 这个白发老人， 愁愁苦苦地下阴间去了。
32 因为仆人曾经向父亲担保这孩子的安全， 说： ‘如果我不把他带回来交还给你， 我就在父亲面前终生承担这罪。’
33 现在求你容许仆人留下， 代替这孩子作我主的奴仆， 让这孩子与他的哥哥们一同上去。
34 因为如果孩子没有与我同去， 我怎能上去见我的父亲呢？恐怕我会看见灾祸临到我父亲身上。"