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said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

      ⁹ I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

      ¹⁰ for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.

      ¹¹ And their father Israel said unto them, If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;

      ¹² and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

      ¹³ take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

      ¹⁴ and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

      ¹⁵ And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

      ¹⁶ And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at noon.

      ¹⁷ And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men to Joseph's house.

      ¹⁸ And the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

      ¹⁹ And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spake unto him at the door of the house,

      ²⁰ and said, Oh, my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

      ²¹ and it came to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

      ²² And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food: we know not who put our money in our sacks.

      ²³ And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

      ²⁴ And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. And he gave their asses provender.

      ²⁵ And they made ready the present against Joseph's coming at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

      ²⁶ And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.

      ²⁷ And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

      ²⁸ And they said, Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.

      ²⁹ And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

      ³⁰ And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

      ³¹ And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

      ³² And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

      ³³ And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one with another.

      ³⁴ And he took [and sent] messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

      Chapter 44

       Table of Contents

      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.

      ² And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his grain money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

      ³ As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

      ⁴ [And] when they were gone out of the city, and were 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?

      ⁵ Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

      ⁶ And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words.

      ⁷ And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

      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?

      ⁹ With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

      ¹⁰ And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.

      ¹¹ Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

      ¹² And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

      ¹³ Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

      ¹⁴ And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

      ¹⁵ And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I can indeed divine?

      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 bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.

      ¹⁷ And he said, Far be it from me that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

      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.

      ¹⁹ My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

      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.

      ²¹ And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

      ²² And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his