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Chapter 44
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1
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And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill
the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and
put every man's money in his sack's mouth. |
2
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And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of
the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according
to the word that Joseph had spoken. |
3
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As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away,
they and their asses. |
4
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And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet
far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after
the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them,
Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? |
5
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Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby
indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. |
6
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And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same
words. |
7
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And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these
words? God forbid that thy servants should do according
to this thing: |
8
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Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths,
we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how
then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or
gold? |
9
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With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let
him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. |
10
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And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words:
he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall
be blameless. |
11
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Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the
ground, and opened every man his sack. |
12
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And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at
the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. |
13
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Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his
ass, and returned to the city. |
14
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And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for
he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. |
15
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And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye
have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly
divine? |
16
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And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what
shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath
found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are
my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the
cup is found. |
17
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And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the
man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant;
and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. |
18
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Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord,
let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's
ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant:
for thou art even as Pharaoh. |
19
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My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father,
or a brother? |
20
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And we said unto 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
loveth him. |
21
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And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto
me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. |
22
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And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father:
for if he should leave his father, his father would die. |
23
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And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest
brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. |
24
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And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant
my father, we told him the words of my lord. |
25
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And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. |
26
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And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother
be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the
man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. |
27
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And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that
my wife bare me two sons: |
28
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And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is
torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: |
29
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And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall
him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the
grave. |
30
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Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and
the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up
in the lad's life; |
31
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It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is
not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring
down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow
to the grave. |
32
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For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father,
saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear
the blame to my father for ever. |
33
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Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead
of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up
with his brethren. |
34
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For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not
with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come
on my father. |
