Genesis 44 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Brothers Fall Before Joseph

1 Then he commanded ^H6680 his house ^H1004 steward ^H834 H5921, saying ^H559, “Fill ^H4390 the men’s ^H376 sacks ^H572 with food ^H400, as much ^H834 as they can ^H3201 carry ^H5375, and put ^H7760 each ^H376 man’s ^H376 money ^H3701 in the mouth ^H6310 of his sack ^H572.

2 Now put ^H7760 my cup ^H1375, the silver ^H3701 cup ^H1375, in the mouth ^H6310 of the sack ^H572 of the youngest ^H6996, and his money ^H3701 for the grain ^H7668.” And he did ^H6213 [fn]as Joseph ^H3130 had told ^H1696 him. 3 [fn]As the morning ^H1242 light ^H215 broke, the men ^H376 were sent ^H7971 away ^H7971, they with their donkeys ^H2543. 4 Now they had just gone ^H3318 out ^H3318 of the city ^H5892 and were ^H7368 not far ^H7368 off ^H7368 when Joseph ^H3130 said ^H559 to his house ^H1004 steward ^H834 H5921, “Arise, pursue ^H7291 H310 the men ^H376; you shall overtake ^H5381 them and say ^H559 to them, ‘Why ^H4100 have you repaid ^H7999 evil ^H7451 for good ^H2896? 5 Is not this ^H2088 the one from which ^H834 my lord ^H113 drinks ^H8354 and which he indeed ^H5172 uses ^H5172 to ^H5172 interpret ^H5172 omens ^H5172? You have done ^H7489 evil ^H7489 in doing ^H6213 this ^H834.’”

6 So he overtook ^H5381 them and spoke ^H1696 these ^H428 words ^H1697 to them. 7 And they said ^H559 to him, “Why ^H4100 does my lord ^H113 speak ^H1696 such words ^H1697 as these ^H428? Far ^H2486 be it from your servants ^H5650 to do ^H6213 such ^H2088 a thing ^H1697. 8 Behold ^H2005, the money ^H3701 which ^H834 we found ^H4672 in the mouth ^H6310 of our sacks ^H572 we have brought ^H7725 back ^H7725 to you from the land ^H776 of Canaan ^H3667. How ^H349 then could we steal ^H1589 silver ^H3701 or ^H176 gold ^H2091 from your lord’s ^H113 house ^H1004? 9 With whomever ^H834 of your servants ^H5650 it is found ^H4672, let him die ^H4191, and we also ^H1571 will be my lord’s ^H113 slaves ^H5650.” 10 So he said ^H559, “Now ^H6258 let it also ^H1571 be according to your words ^H1697; he with whom ^H834 it is found ^H4672 shall be my slave ^H5650, but the rest of you shall be innocent ^H5355.” 11 Then they hurried ^H4116, each ^H376 man ^H376 brought ^H3381 his sack ^H572 down ^H3381 to the ground ^H776, and each ^H376 man ^H376 opened ^H6605 his sack ^H572. 12 So he searched ^H2664, beginning ^H2490 with the oldest ^H1419 and ending ^H3615 with the youngest ^H6996, and the cup ^H1375 was found ^H4672 in Benjamin’s ^H1144 sack ^H572. 13 Then they tore ^H7167 their clothes ^H8071, and each ^H376 man ^H376 loaded ^H6006 his donkey ^H2543 and returned ^H7725 to the city ^H5892.

14 Then Judah ^H3063 and his brothers ^H251 came ^H935 to Joseph’s ^H3130 house ^H1004, and he was still ^H5750 there ^H8033. So they fell ^H5307 to the ground ^H776 before ^H6440 him. 15 And Joseph ^H3130 said ^H559 to them, “What ^H4100 is this ^H2088 deed ^H4639 that you have done ^H6213? Do you not know ^H3045 that such ^H3644 a man ^H376 as I can indeed ^H5172 interpret ^H5172 omens ^H5172?” 16 So Judah ^H3063 said ^H559, “What ^H4100 can we say ^H559 to my lord ^H113? What ^H4100 can we speak ^H1696? And how ^H4100 can we justify ^H6663 ourselves? God ^H430 has found ^H4672 out ^H4672 the iniquity ^H5771 of your servants ^H5650; behold ^H2009, we are my lord’s ^H113 slaves ^H5650, both ^H1571 we and the one in whose ^H834 [fn]possession ^H3027 the cup ^H1375 has been found ^H4672.” 17 But he said ^H559, “Far ^H2486 be it from me to do ^H6213 this ^H2088. The man ^H376 in whose ^H834 [fn]possession ^H3027 the cup ^H1375 has been found ^H4672, he shall be my slave ^H5650; but as for you, go ^H5927 up ^H5927 in peace ^H7965 to your father ^H1.”

Judah Remains Instead of Benjamin

18 Then Judah ^H3063 came ^H5066 near to him and said ^H559, “O ^H994 my lord ^H113, may your servant ^H5650 please ^H4994 speak ^H1696 a word ^H1697 in my lord’s ^H113 ears ^H241, and [fn]do not be ^H2734 angry ^H639 H2734 with your servant ^H5650; for you are equal to Pharaoh ^H6547.

19 My lord ^H113 asked ^H7592 his servants ^H5650, saying ^H559, ‘Have ^H3426 you a father ^H1 or ^H176 a brother ^H251?’ 20 And we said ^H559 to my lord ^H113, ‘We have ^H3426 an old ^H2205 father ^H1 and a little ^H6996 child ^H3206 of his old ^H2208 age ^H2208. Now his brother ^H251 is dead ^H4191, so he alone ^H905 is left ^H3498 of his mother ^H517, and his father ^H1 loves ^H157 him.’ 21 Then you said ^H559 to your servants ^H5650, ‘Bring ^H3381 him down ^H3381 to me that I may set ^H7760 my eyes ^H5869 on him.’ 22 And we said ^H559 to my lord ^H113, ‘The boy ^H5288 cannot ^H3201 H3808 leave ^H5800 his father ^H1; if he should leave ^H5800 his father ^H1, [fn]his father would die ^H4191.’ 23 You said ^H559 to your servants ^H5650, however, ‘If ^H518 your youngest ^H6996 brother ^H251 does not ^H3808 come ^H3381 down ^H3381 with you, you will not see ^H7200 my face ^H6440 again ^H3254.’ 24 Thus it happened ^H1961 that when ^H3588 we went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to your servant ^H5650 my father ^H1, we told ^H5046 him the words ^H1697 of my lord ^H113. 25 And our father ^H1 said ^H559, ‘Go ^H7725 back ^H7725, buy ^H7666 us a little ^H4592 food ^H400.’ 26 But we said ^H559, ‘We cannot ^H3201 H3808 go ^H3381 down ^H3381. If ^H518 our youngest ^H6996 brother ^H251 is with us, then we will go ^H3381 down ^H3381; for we cannot ^H3201 H3808 see ^H7200 the man’s ^H376 face ^H6440 if our youngest ^H6996 brother ^H251 is not ^H369 with us.’ 27 And your servant ^H5650 my father ^H1 said ^H559 to us, ‘You know ^H3045 that my wife ^H802 bore ^H3205 me two ^H8147 sons; 28 and the one ^H259 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 from me, and I said ^H559, “Surely ^H389 he is torn ^H2963 to ^H2963 pieces ^H2963,” and I have not seen ^H7200 him since ^H5704 H2008. 29 If you take ^H3947 this ^H2088 one ^H2088 also ^H1571 from [fn]me and harm ^H611 befalls ^H7136 him, you will bring ^H3381 my gray ^H7872 hair ^H7872 down ^H3381 to Sheol ^H7585 in [fn]evil ^H7451.’ 30 So now ^H6258, when I come ^H935 to your servant ^H5650 my father ^H1, and the boy ^H5288 is not with us—[fn]and his life ^H5315 is bound ^H7194 up ^H7194 in the boy’s life ^H5315— 31 so it will be that when he sees ^H7200 that the boy ^H5288 is not with us, he will die ^H4191. Thus your servants ^H5650 will bring ^H3381 the gray ^H7872 hair ^H7872 of your servant ^H5650 our father ^H1 down ^H3381 to Sheol ^H7585 in sorrow ^H3015. 32 For your servant ^H5650 became ^H6148 a guarantee ^H6148 for the boy ^H5288 to my father ^H1, saying ^H559, ‘If ^H518 I do not bring ^H935 him back to you, [fn]then I shall bear ^H2398 the sin ^H2398 before my father ^H1 all ^H3605 my days ^H3117.’ 33 So now ^H6258, please ^H4994 let your servant ^H5650 remain ^H3427 instead ^H8478 of ^H8478 the boy ^H5288 as a slave ^H5650 to my lord ^H113, and let the boy ^H5288 go ^H5927 up ^H5927 with his brothers ^H251. 34 For how ^H349 shall I go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to my father ^H1 if the boy ^H5288 is not with me, lest ^H6435 I see ^H7200 the evil ^H7451 that would [fn]overtake ^H4672 my father ^H1?”