^44:1He instructed the servant who was over his household, “Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. ^44:2Then put¹ my cup—the silver cup—in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” He did as Joseph instructed.²

^44:3When morning came,³ the men and their donkeys were sent off.⁴^44:4They had not gone very far from the city⁵ when Joseph said⁶ to the servant who was over his household, “Pursue the men at once!⁷ When you overtake⁸ them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? ^44:5Doesn’t my master drink from this cup⁹ and use it for divination?¹⁰ You have done wrong!’ ”¹¹

^44:6When the man¹² overtook them, he spoke these words to them. ^44:7They answered him, “Why does my lord say such things?¹³ Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!¹⁴^44:8Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? ^44:9If one of us has it,¹⁵ he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves!”

^44:10He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment!¹⁶ The one who has it will become my slave,¹⁷ but the rest of¹⁸ you will go free.”¹⁹^44:11So each man quickly lowered²⁰ his sack to the ground and opened it. ^44:12Then the man²¹ searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! ^44:13They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

^44:14So Judah and his brothers²² came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there,²³ and they threw themselves to the ground before him. ^44:15Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing?²⁴ Don’t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?”²⁵

^44:16Judah replied, “What can we say²⁶ to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves?²⁷ God has exposed the sin of your servants!²⁸ We are now my lord’s slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

^44:17But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of²⁹ you may go back³⁰ to your father in peace.”

^44:18Then Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you.³¹ Please do not get angry with your servant,³² for you are just like Pharaoh.³³^44:19My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ ^44:20We said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young boy who was born when our father was old.³⁴ The boy’s³⁵ brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left,³⁶ and his father loves him.’

^44:21“Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see³⁷ him.’³⁸^44:22We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father³⁹ will die.’⁴⁰^44:23But you said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’ ^44:24When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

^44:25“Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ ^44:26But we replied, ‘We cannot go down there.⁴¹ If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go,⁴² for we won’t be permitted to see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us.’

^44:27“Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave me two sons.⁴³^44:28The first disappeared⁴⁴ and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since. ^44:29If you take⁴⁵ this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair⁴⁶ in tragedy⁴⁷ to the grave.’⁴⁸

^44:30“So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us—his very life is bound up in his son’s life.⁴⁹^44:31When he sees the boy is not with us,⁵⁰ he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. ^44:32Indeed,⁵¹ your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.’

^44:33“So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers. ^44:34For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see⁵² my father’s pain.”⁵³

The Reconciliation of the Brothers

^45:1Joseph was no longer able to control himself before all his attendants,¹ so he cried out, “Make everyone go out from my presence!” No one remained² with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ^45:2He wept loudly;³ the Egyptians heard it and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.⁴

^45:3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him because they were dumbfounded before him. ^45:4Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me,” so they came near. Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. ^45:5Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here,⁵ for God sent me⁶ ahead of you to preserve life! ^45:6For these past two years there has been famine in⁷ the land and for five more years there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ^45:7God sent me⁸ ahead of you to preserve you⁹ on the earth and to save your lives¹⁰ by a great deliverance. ^45:8So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser¹¹ to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. ^45:9Now go up to my father quickly¹² and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay! ^45:10You will live¹³ in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have. ^45:11I will provide you with food¹⁴ there because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise you would become poor—you, your household, and everyone who belongs to you.” ’ ^45:12You and my brother Benjamin can certainly see with your own eyes that I really am the one who speaks to you.¹⁵^45:13So tell¹⁶ my father about all my honor in Egypt and about everything you have seen. But bring my father down here quickly!”¹⁷

^45:14Then he threw himself on the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. ^45:15He kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After this his brothers talked with him.

^45:16Now it was reported¹⁸ in the household of Pharaoh, “Joseph’s brothers have arrived.” It pleased¹⁹ Pharaoh and his servants. ^45:17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go²⁰ to the land of Canaan! ^45:18Get your father and your households and come to me! Then I will give you²¹ the best land in Egypt and you will eat²² the best²³ of the land.’ ^45:19You are also commanded to say,²⁴ ‘Do this: Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives. Bring your father and come. ^45:20Don’t worry²⁵ about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt will be yours.’ ”

^45:21So the sons of Israel did as he said.²⁶ Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed,²⁷ and he gave them provisions for the journey. ^45:22He gave sets of clothes to each one of them,²⁸ but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five sets of clothes.²⁹^45:23To his father he sent the following:³⁰ ten donkeys loaded with the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, food, and provisions for his father’s journey. ^45:24Then he sent his brothers on their way and they left. He said to them, “As you travel don’t be overcome with fear.”³¹

^45:25So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.³²^45:26They told him, “Joseph is still alive and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned,³³ for he did not believe them. ^45:27But when they related to him everything Joseph had said to them,³⁴ and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, their father Jacob’s spirit revived. ^45:28Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive! I will go and see him before I die.”

The Family of Jacob goes to Egypt

^46:1So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had.¹ When he came to Beer Sheba² he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ^46:2God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night³ and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He replied, “Here I am!” ^46:3He said, “I am God,⁴ the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. ^46:4I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there.⁵ Joseph will close your eyes.”⁶

^46:5Then Jacob started out⁷ from Beer Sheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent along to transport him. ^46:6Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt.⁸^46:7He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons,⁹ his daughters and granddaughters—all his descendants.

^46:8These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt—Jacob and his sons:

Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.

^46:9The sons of Reuben:

Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

^46:10The sons of Simeon:

Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar,

and Shaul (the son of a Canaanite woman).

^46:11The sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

^46:12The sons of Judah:

Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah

(but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan).

The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

^46:13The sons of Issachar:

Tola, Puah,¹⁰ Jashub,¹¹ and Shimron.

^46:14The sons of Zebulun:

Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

^46:15These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with…

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Footnotes

1 The imperfect verbal form is used here to express Joseph’s instructions.
2 Heb “and he did according to the word of Joseph which he spoke.”
3 Heb “the morning was light.”
4 Heb “and the men were sent off, they and their donkeys.” This clause, like the preceding one, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.
5 Heb “they left the city, they were not far,” meaning “they had not gone very far.”
6 Heb “and Joseph said.” This clause, like the first one in the verse, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.
7 Heb “arise, chase after the men.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
8 After the imperative this perfect verbal form with vav consecutive has the same nuance of instruction. In the translation it is subordinated to the verbal form that follows (also a perfect with vav consecutive): “and overtake them and say,” becomes “when you overtake them, say.”
9 Heb “Is this not what my master drinks from.” The word “cup” is not in the Hebrew text, but is obviously the referent of “this,” and so has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
10 Heb “and he, divining, divines with it.” The infinitive absolute is emphatic, stressing the importance of the cup to Joseph.
11 Heb “you have caused to be evil what you have done.”
12 Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 Heb “Why does my lord speak according to these words?”
14 Heb “according to this thing.”
15 Heb “The one with whom it is found from your servants.” Here “your servants” (a deferential way of referring to the brothers themselves) has been translated by the pronoun “us” to avoid confusion with Joseph’s servants.
16 Heb “Also now, according to your words, so it is.” As the next statement indicates, this does mean that he will do exactly as they say. He does agree with them the culprit should be punished, but not as harshly as they suggest. Furthermore, the innocent parties will not be punished.
17 Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”
18 The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
19 The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it. The rest of you will be free. Joseph’s purpose was to single out Benjamin to see if the brothers would abandon him as they had abandoned Joseph. He wanted to see if they had changed.
20 Heb “and they hurried and they lowered.” Their speed in doing this shows their presumption of innocence.
21 Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
22 Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.
23 The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.
24 Heb “What is this deed you have done?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question. A literal translation seems to contradict the following statement, in which Joseph affirms that he is able to divine such matters. Thus here the emotive force of the question has been reflected in the translation, “What did you think you were doing?”
25 Heb “[is] fully able to divine,” meaning that he can find things out by divination. The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis, stressing his ability to do this.
26 The imperfect verbal form here indicates the subject’s potential.
27 The Hitpael form of the verb צָדֵק (tsadeq) here means “to prove ourselves just, to declare ourselves righteous, to prove our innocence.”
28 God has exposed the sin of your servants. The first three questions are rhetorical; Judah is stating that there is nothing they can say to clear themselves. He therefore must conclude that they have been found guilty.
29 The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
30 Heb “up” (reflecting directions from their point of view—“up” to Canaan; “down” to Egypt).
31 Heb “Please my lord, let your servant speak a word into the ears of my lord.”
32 Heb “and let not your anger burn against your servant.”
33 You are just like Pharaoh. Judah’s speech begins with the fear and trembling of one who stands condemned. Joseph has as much power as Pharaoh, either to condemn or to pardon. Judah will make his appeal, wording his speech in such a way as to appeal to Joseph’s compassion for the father, whom he mentions no less than fourteen times in the speech.
34 Heb “and a small boy of old age,” meaning that he was born when his father was elderly.
35 Heb “his”; the referent (the boy just mentioned) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36 Heb “he, only he, to his mother is left.”
37 The cohortative after the imperative indicates purpose here.
38 Heb “that I may set my eyes upon him.”
39 Heb “he”; the referent (the boy’s father, i.e., Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
40 The last two verbs are perfect tenses with vav consecutive. The first is subordinated to the second as a conditional clause.
41 The direct object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but is implied; “there” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
42 Heb “go down.”
43 Heb “that two sons my wife bore to me.”
44 Heb “went forth from me.”
45 The construction uses a perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive to introduce the conditional clause and then another perfect verbal form with a vav consecutive to complete the sentence: “if you take … then you will bring down.”
46 The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole—they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble. See Gen 42:38.
47 Heb “evil/calamity.” The term is different than the one used in the otherwise identical statement recorded in v. 31 (see also 42:38).
48 Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.
49 Heb “his life is bound up in his life.”
50 Heb “when he sees that there is no boy.”
51 Or “for.”
52 The Hebrew text has “lest I see,” which expresses a negative purpose—“I cannot go up lest I see.”
53 Heb “the calamity which would find my father.”
1 Heb “all the ones standing beside him.”
2 Heb “stood.”
3 Heb “and he gave his voice in weeping,” meaning that Joseph could not restrain himself and wept out loud.
4 Heb “and the Egyptians heard and the household of Pharaoh heard.” Presumably in the latter case this was by means of a report.
5 Heb “let there not be anger in your eyes.”
6 You sold me here, for God sent me. The tension remains as to how the brothers’ wickedness and God’s intentions work together. Clearly God is able to transform the actions of wickedness to bring about some gracious end. But this is saying more than that; it is saying that from the beginning it was God who sent Joseph here. Although harmonization of these ideas remains humanly impossible, the divine intention is what should be the focus. Only that will enable reconciliation.
7 Heb “the famine [has been] in the midst of.”
8 God sent me. The repetition of this theme that God sent Joseph is reminiscent of commission narratives in which the leader could announce that God sent him (e.g., Exod 3:15).
9 Heb “to make you a remnant.” The verb, followed here by the preposition לְ (lé), means “to make.”
10 The infinitive gives a second purpose for God’s action.
11 Heb “a father.” The term is used here figuratively of one who gives advice, as a father would to his children.
12 Heb “hurry and go up.”
13 The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive here expresses instruction.
14 The verb כּוּל (kul) in the Pilpel stem means “to nourish, to support, to sustain.” As in 1 Kgs 20:27, it here means “to supply with food.”
15 Heb “And, look, your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that my mouth is the one speaking to you.”
16 The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive here expresses instruction.
17 Heb “and hurry and bring down my father to here.”
18 Heb “and the sound was heard.”
19 Heb “was good in the eyes of.”
20 Heb “and go! Enter!”
21 After the imperatives in vv. 17–18a, the cohortative with vav indicates result.
22 After the cohortative the imperative with vav states the ultimate goal.
23 Heb “fat.”
24 The words “to say” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
25 Heb “let not your eye regard.”
26 Heb “and the sons of Israel did so.”
27 Heb “according to the mouth of Pharaoh.”
28 Heb “to all of them he gave, to each one, changes of outer garments.”
29 Heb “changes of outer garments.”
30 Heb “according to this.”
31 Heb “do not be stirred up in the way.” The verb means “stir up.” Some understand the Hebrew verb רָגָז (ragaz, “to stir up”) as a reference to quarreling (see Prov 29:9, where it has this connotation), but in Exod 15:14 and other passages it means “to fear.” This might refer to a fear of robbers, but more likely it is an assuring word that they need not be fearful about returning to Egypt. They might have thought that once Jacob was in Egypt, Joseph would take his revenge on them.
32 Heb “and they entered the land of Canaan to their father.”
33 Heb “and his heart was numb.” Jacob was stunned by the unbelievable news and was unable to respond.
34 Heb “and they spoke to him all the words of Joseph which he had spoke to them.”
1 Heb “and Israel journeyed, and all that was his.”
2 Beer Sheba. See Gen 21:31; 28:10.
3 Heb “in visions of the night.” The plural form has the singular meaning, probably as a plural of intensity.
4 Heb “the God.”
5 Heb “and I, I will bring you up, also bringing up.” The independent personal pronoun before the first person imperfect verbal form draws attention to the speaker/subject, while the infinitive absolute after the imperfect strongly emphasizes the statement: “I myself will certainly bring you up.”
6 Heb “and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes.” This is a promise of peaceful death in Egypt with Joseph present to close his eyes.
7 Heb “arose.”
8 Heb “and they took their livestock and their possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and they went to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
9 The Hebrew text adds “with him” here. This is omitted in the translation because it is redundant in English style (note the same phrase earlier in the verse).
10 The reads “Puvah” (cf. Num 26:23); the Samaritan Pentateuch and read “Puah” (cf. 1 Chr 7:1).
11 The reads “Iob,” but the Samaritan Pentateuch and some read “Jashub” (see Num 26:24; 1 Chr 7:1).