Gen 44:6 ¶ So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.
Gen 44:7 They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.
Gen 44:8 "Behold, the 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?
Gen 44:9 "With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."
Gen 44:10 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."
Gen 44:11 Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
Gen 44:12 He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
Gen 44:13 Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city.
Gen 44:14 ¶ When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.
Gen 44:15 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 divination?"
Gen 44:16 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 slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found."
Gen 44:17 But he said, "Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."
Gen 44:18 ¶ Then Judah approached him, and said, "Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh.
Gen 44:19 "My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?'
Gen 44:20 "We said to my lord, 'We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.'
Gen 44:21 "Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.'
Gen 44:22 "But we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'
Gen 44:23 "You said to your servants, however, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'
Gen 44:24 "Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
Gen 44:25 "Our father said, 'Go back, buy us a little food.'