VERSE STUDY • KJV

Genesis 44:2-17

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. 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] 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 [it] in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. ⁶ And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. ⁷ And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this 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, both 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 servant; and ye shall be blameless. ¹¹ Then they speedily 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 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; for 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? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly 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 servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found. 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.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

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. 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] 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 [it] in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. ⁶ And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. ⁷ And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this 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, both 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 servant; and ye shall be blameless. ¹¹ Then they speedily 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 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; for 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? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly 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 servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found. 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.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

² Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed. ³ At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. ⁴ They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? ⁵ Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’” ⁶ When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them. ⁷ “Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. ⁸ We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? ⁹ If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.” ¹⁰ “As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.” ¹¹ So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. ¹² The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. ¹³ Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city. ¹⁴ When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. ¹⁵ “What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?” ¹⁶ “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.” ¹⁷ But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”

WEB World English Bible

² Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” 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 donkeys. ⁴ When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? ⁵ Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’” ⁶ He overtook them, and he 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 that they should do such a thing! ⁸ Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house? ⁹ With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondservants.” ¹⁰ He said, “Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found will be my bondservant; and you will be blameless.” ¹¹ Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack. ¹² He searched, beginning with the eldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. ¹³ Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city. ¹⁴ Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him. ¹⁵ Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?” ¹⁶ Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s bondservants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.” ¹⁷ He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my bondservant; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

ASV American Standard Version

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.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

² and my cup, the silver cup, thou dost put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his corn-money;’ and he doth according to the word of Joseph which he hath spoken. ³ The morning is bright, and the men have been sent away, they and their asses— ⁴ they have gone out of the city—they have not gone far off—and Joseph hath said to him who is over his house, ‘Rise, pursue after the men; and thou hast overtaken them, and thou hast said unto them, Why have ye recompensed evil for good? ⁵ Is not this that with which my lord drinketh? and he observeth diligently with it; ye have done evil in that which ye have done.’ ⁶ And he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto them these words, ⁷ and they say unto him, ‘Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word; ⁸ lo, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back unto thee from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of thy lord silver or gold? ⁹ with whomsoever of thy servants it is found, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.’ ¹⁰ And he saith, ‘Now, also, according to your words, so it is; he with whom it is found becometh my servant, and ye are acquitted;’ ¹¹ and they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag; ¹² and he searcheth—at the eldest he hath begun, and at the youngest he hath completed—and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin; ¹³ and they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn back to the city. ¹⁴ And Judah—his brethren also—cometh in unto the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall before him to the earth; ¹⁵ and Joseph saith to them, ‘What is this deed that ye have done? have ye not known that a man like me doth diligently observe?’ ¹⁶ And Judah saith, ‘What do we say to my lord? what do we speak? and what—do we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; lo, we are servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found;’ ¹⁷ and he saith, ‘Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he becometh my servant; and ye, go ye up in peace unto your father.’

Surrounding context — Genesis 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.

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.

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] 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 [it] in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

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

7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this 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, both 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 servant; and ye shall be blameless.

11 Then they speedily 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 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; for 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? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly 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 servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found.

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.

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.

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