| 44:1 |
And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. |
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| 44:2 |
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. |
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| 44:3 |
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. |
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| 44:4 |
And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? |
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| 44:5 |
Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. |
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| 44:6 |
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. |
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| 44:7 |
And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: |
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| 44:8 |
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? |
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| 44:9 |
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. |
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| 44:10 |
And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. |
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| 44:11 |
Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. |
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| 44:12 |
And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. |
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| 44:13 |
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. |
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| 44:14 |
And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. |
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| 44:15 |
And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? |
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| 44:16 |
And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. |
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| 44:17 |
And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. |
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| 44:18 |
Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. |
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| 44:19 |
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? |
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| 44:20 |
And we said unto 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 loveth him. |
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| 44:21 |
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. |
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| 44:22 |
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. |
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| 44:23 |
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. |
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| 44:24 |
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. |
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| 44:25 |
And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. |
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| 44:26 |
And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. |
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| 44:27 |
And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: |
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| 44:28 |
And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: |
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| 44:29 |
And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. |
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| 44:30 |
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; |
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| 44:31 |
It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. |
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| 44:32 |
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. |
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| 44:33 |
Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. |
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| 44:34 |
For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father. |
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