Genesis 44

Pursuit and Accusation Genesis 44:3–6

³Verse 3. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. ⁴Verse 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? ⁵Verse 5. Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’” ⁶Verse 6. He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

Brothers' Innocence Declared Genesis 44:7–10

⁷Verse 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! ⁸Verse 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? ⁹Verse 9. With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” ¹⁰Verse 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.”

The Cup Found Genesis 44:11–13

¹¹Verse 11. Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack. ¹²Verse 12. He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. ¹³Verse 13. Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.

Return to Joseph Genesis 44:14–15

¹⁴Verse 14. Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him. ¹⁵Verse 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 divine?”

Judah's Confession Genesis 44:16–17

¹⁶Verse 16. Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or 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.” ¹⁷Verse 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.”

Judah's Plea for Benjamin Genesis 44:18–34

¹⁸Verse 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. ¹⁹Verse 19. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ ²⁰Verse 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.’ ²¹Verse 21. You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

²²Verse 22. We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ ²³Verse 23. You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’ ²⁴Verse 24. When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. ²⁵Verse 25. Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’ ²⁶Verse 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.’

²⁷Verse 27. Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons: ²⁸Verse 28. and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces”; and I haven’t seen him since. ²⁹Verse 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.’ ³⁰Verse 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; ³¹Verse 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.

³²Verse 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.’ ³³Verse 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. ³⁴Verse 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.”