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The Holy Tanakh: Genesis: Chapter 44
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{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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{2}
And put my goblet, the silver goblet, 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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{3}
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
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{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?
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{5}
Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.'
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{6}
And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words.
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{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.
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{8}
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought back 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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{9}
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.'
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{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.'
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{11}
Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
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{12}
And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack.
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{13}
And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
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{14}
And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground.
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{15}
And Joseph said unto them: 'What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?'
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{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.'
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{17}
And he said: 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.'
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{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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{19}
My lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a brother?
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{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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{21}
And thou saidst unto thy servants: Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
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{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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{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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{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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{25}
And our father said: Go again, buy us a little food.
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{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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{27}
And thy servant my father said unto us: Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;
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{28}
and the one went out from me, and I said: Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since;
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{29}
and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
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{30}
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul;
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{31}
it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
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{32}
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.
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{33}
Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
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{34}
For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.'
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