Gênesis 44

¹ Afterward he commanded his steward, saying, Fill the mens sackes with foode, as much as they can carry, and put euery mans money in his sackes mouth.

² AndWe may not use this example to justify any unlawful practices, seeing God has commanded us to walk in simplicity.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 And in the morning the men were sent away, they, and their asses.

⁴ And when they went out of the citie not farre off, Ioseph sayd to his stewarde, Vp, followe after the men: and when thou doest ouertake them, say vnto them, Wherefore haue ye rewarded euill for good?

⁵ [Is] not this [it] in which my lord drinketh, andBecause the people thought he could divine, he attributes to himself that knowledge: or else he pretends that he consults with soothsayers: which deceit is worthy to be reproved.whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

⁶ And when he ouertooke them, he sayde those wordes vnto them.

⁷ And they answered him, Wherefore sayeth my lorde such wordes? God forbid that thy seruants should do such a thing.

⁸ Behold, the money which we found in our sackes mouthes, wee brought againe to thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steale out of thy lordes house siluer or golde?

⁹ With whomesoeuer of thy seruants it bee found, let him dye, and we also will be my lordes bondmen.

¹⁰ And he said, Now then let it be according vnto your wordes: he with whome it is found, shal be my seruant, and ye shalbe blamelesse.

¹¹ Then at once euery man tooke downe his sacke to the grounde, and euery one opened his sacke.

¹² And he searched, and began at the eldest and left at the yongest: and the cuppe was found in Beniamins sacke.

¹³ Then theyTo show how greatly the thing displeased them and how sorry they were for it.rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

¹⁴ So Iudah and his brethren came to Iosephs house (for he was yet there) and they fel before him on the ground.

¹⁵ Then Ioseph sayd vnto them, What acte is this, which ye haue done? know ye not that such a man as I, can deuine and prophecie?

¹⁶ And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves?If we see no obvious cause for our affliction, let us look to the secret counsel of God, who punishes us justly for our sins.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 But he answered, God forbid, that I should doe so, but the man, with whome the cuppe is founde, he shalbe my seruant, and go ye in peace vnto your father.

¹⁸ 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] evenEqual in authority or, next to the king.as Pharaoh.

¹⁹ My Lord asked his seruants, saying, Haue ye a father, or a brother?

²⁰ And we answered my Lorde, We haue a father that is olde, and a young childe, which he begate in his age: and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loueth him.

²¹ Now thou saidest vnto thy seruants, Bring him vnto me, that I may set mine eye vpo him.

²² And we answered my lord, The childe can not depart from his father: for if he leaue his father, his father would die.

²³ Then saydest thou vnto thy seruants, Except your yonger brother come downe with you, looke in my face no more.

²⁴ So when we came vnto thy seruant our father, and shewed him what my lord had sayd,

²⁵ And our father sayde vnto vs, Goe againe, bye vs a litle foode,

²⁶ Then we answered, We can not go downe: but if our yongest brother go with vs, then will we go downe: for we may not see the mans face, except our yongest brother be with vs.

²⁷ And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that myRachel bore to Jacob, Joseph and Benjamin.wife bare me two [sons]:

²⁸ And the one went out from me, and I said, Of a suretie he is torne in pieces, and I sawe him not since.

²⁹ And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him,You will cause me to die for sorrow.ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

³⁰ Nowe therefore, when I come to thy seruant my father, & the childe be not with vs (seeing that his life dependeth on the childes life)

³¹ Then when hee shall see that the childe is not come, he will die: so shall thy seruants bring the graye head of thy seruant our father with sorowe to the graue.

³² Doubtlesse thy seruant became suertie for the childe to my father, and said, If I bring him not vnto thee againe, then I will beare the blame vnto my father for euer.

³³ Nowe therefore, I pray thee, let me thy seruant bide for the childe, as a seruant to my Lord, and let the childe go vp with his brethren.

³⁴ ForMeaning, he would rather remain as their prisoner, than to return and see his father in sorrow.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.