Genesis Chapter 44
Joseph’s Silver Cup
1 Then he told his palace overseer, “Fill their sacks with as much as they can transport. Put each man’s money in his sack, 2 and put my silver cup with the money in the top of the youngest man’s sack.”
3 At daylight they sent them away with their donkeys. 4 They’d just got out of the city when Joseph told his palace overseer, “Follow them. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why repay good with bad? 5 Isn’t this what my lord drinks out of and uses for fortunetelling? You’ve done wrong.’” 6 He caught up with them and told them that.
7 “Why say something like that? We wouldn’t do that. 8 We brought back the money we found in our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 Kill whoever you find it with, and we’ll be your slaves.”
10 “All right. The one that has it will be my slave. The rest of you will go free.”
11 They hurried and lowered their sacks to the ground and opened them. 12 He searched from the oldest to the youngest and found the cup in Benjamin’s sack. 13 They tore their clothes and loaded their donkeys and went back to the city.
Gen 44:1-13
14 When Judah and his brothers got to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They prostrated themselves on the floor. 15 He asked, “What’ve you done? Don’t you know a man like me can tell fortunes?”
16 Judah said, “What can we say? How can we explain this? God has found out our sin. We’re your slaves, we and the one he found the cup with.”
17 He said, “I wouldn’t do that. The one the cup was with will be my slave. The rest of you can go up to your father in peace.”
Gen 44:14-17
18 Judah came up to him and said,
“May I say something to you? Don’t be mad; you’re equal to Pharaoh. 19 You asked us if we had a father or brother. 20 We told you we had an elderly father and a young brother that was born when our father was old. He’s the only one left from his mother, and his father loves him (a full brother of his is dead).”
21 “Bring him down so I can see him.”
22 “The boy can’t leave his father. His father would die.”
23 “Unless he comes with you, you won’t see me again.”
24 “We went up and told him what you said.
25 “Later, he told us to come back and buy more food.
26 “But we said, ‘We can’t. If our youngest brother’s not with us, we won’t be able to see the man.’
27 “You know my wife had two sons. 28 One of them went out and must have been torn to pieces by wild animals. I haven’t seen him since. 29 If you take this one and something happens to him, you’ll send my gray hair down to Sheol in grief.”
Gen 44:18-29
30-31 “If I go back and he sees the boy’s not with us, he’ll die. His life is wrapped up in the boy’s life. We’ll send his gray hair down to Sheol in grief. 32 I became a guarantee for the boy, I said I’d bear the blame permanently if I didn’t bring him back. 33 Let me stay in his place so he can go with his half-brothers. 34 How could I go up to my father if he’s not with me? I’d see how hard it would be on him.”
Gen 44:30-34