Genesis 43:24–44:17
24 Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and agave them water, and they bwashed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.
25 So they prepared athe present 1for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat 2a meal there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and abowed to the ground before him.
27 Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “aIs your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” aThey bowed down 1in homage.
29 As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this ayour youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “bMay God be gracious to you, my son.”
30 Joseph hurried out for 1ahe was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and bwept there.
31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he acontrolled himself and said, “1Serve the meal.”
32 So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is 1aloathsome to the Egyptians.
33 Now they 1were seated before him, athe firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
34 He took portions to them from 1his own table, abut Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
1 aThen he commanded his house steward, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.
2 “Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.” And he did 1as Joseph had told him.
3 1As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys.
4 They had just gone out of athe city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?
5 ‘Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for adivination? You have done wrong in doing this.’ ”
6 So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.
7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.
8 “Behold, athe money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?
9 “aWith whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bslaves.”
10 So he said, “Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent.”
11 Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
12 He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and athe cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 Then they atore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to bthe city.
14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and athey fell to the ground before him.
15 Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice adivination?”
16 So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s aslaves, both we and the one in whose 1possession the cup has been found.”
17 But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose 1possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”