Genesis 44

Great(i) 1 And he commaunded the ruler of his house sayinge: fyll the mens sackes wt foode, as moch as they can carye, 2 and put euery mans money in his sacke mouth, and put my syluer cupin the sackes mouth of the yongest, and hys corne money also. And he dyd accordinge to the worde that Ioseph had sayde. 3 And in the mornynge assoone as it was lyghte, the men were let goo, they and their asses. 4 And when they were out of the cytie and not yet farre awaye, Ioseph sayde vnto the ruelar of hys house: vp and folowe after the men, and whan thou dost ouertake them, thou shalt saye vnto them: wherfore haue ye rewarded euell for good? 5 is that not the cuppe in the which my Lord drynketh, and for the which he prophecyeth? ye haue euell done that ye haue done. 6 And whan he ouertoke them, he sayde the same wordes vnto them. 7 And they answered hym: wherfore sayeth my Lord soch wordes? God forbydd that thy seruauntes shulde doo so: 8 Beholde, the money which we founde in oure sackes mouthes, we brought agayne vnto the, out of the lande of Canaan: howe then shulde we steale out of thy Lordes house, ether syluer or golde? 9 wyth whomsoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde, let him dye, and we also will be my Lordes bondmen. 10 And he sayde: Nowe also let it be accordynge vnto youre woordes: he with whom it is founde, shalbe my seruaunte: and ye shalbe harmelesse. 11 And attonce euery man toke downe hys sacke to the grounde, and euery man opened hys sacke. 12 And he serched, and began at the eldest and left at the yongest. And the cuppe was founde in Ben Iamins sacke. 13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded euery man his asse, and went agayne vnto the cytie. 14 And Iuda and hys brethren came to Iosephs house for he was yet there, and they fell before him on the grounde. 15 And Ioseph sayd vnto them: what dede is this which ye haue done? wote ye not that soche a man as I can prophesye? 16 Then sayde Iuda: what shall we saye vnto my Lorde? what shall we speake, or what excuse can we make? God hath founde out the wykednesse of thy seruauntes. Beholde, both we & he with whom the cuppe is founde, are my Lordes seruauntes. 17 And he answered. God forbyd that I shulde do so, but the man with whom the cuppe is founde, he shalbe my seruaunte. And go ye in peace vnto youre father. 18 Then Iuda went vnto hym and sayde: oh my Lorde, let thy seruaunte speake a worde in my Lordes eares, and be not wrooth wyth thy seruaunte: for thou art euen as Pharao. 19 My Lord asked his seruaunte sayinge: haue ye a father or a brother? 20 And we answered my Lorde we haue a father that is olde, and a yonge lad which he begat in hys age: and the brother of the sayde lad is dead, and he is all that is left of that mother. And hys father loueth hym. 21 And thou saydest vnto thy seruauntes: brynge him vnto me, that I maye sett myne eye vpon him. 22 And we answered my Lorde, that the lad coulde not goo from his father, for yf he shulde leaue his father, he were but deed. 23 Than saydest thou vnto thy seruauntes excepte your youngest brother come with you, loke that ye se my face no moare. 24 And when we came vnto thy seruaunt oure father, we shewed hym what my lorde had sayd: 25 And oure father sayd vnto vs: goo agayne, & bye vs a lytle fode. 26 And we answered: we cannot goo downe. Neuerthelesse: yf oure yongeste brother go wt vs, then wyll we go downe, for we maye not see the mannes face, excepte oure youngest brother be wt vs. 27 And thy seruaunt oure father sayde vnto vs: ye knowe that my wyfe bare me .ij. sonnes. 28 And the one went out from me, and I sayde: of suertye he is torne in peaces, and I sawe hym not sence. 29 And ye take this also awaye from me. If some mysfortune happen vpon him, ye shall brynge my gray heed in sorowe vnto the graue. 30 Nowe therfore, when I come to thy seruaunt my father, and the lad be not with vs (seynge that his lyfe hangeth by the laddes lyfe) 31 then shall it come to passe, that as soone as he seeth that the lad is not come, he wyll dye. So shall we thy seruauntes bringe the gray hedde of thy seruaunt our father with sorowe vnto the graue. 32 For I thy seruaunt became suertye for the lad before my father and sayde: yf I bringe him not vnto the agayne, I wyll bere the blame vnto my father all my lyfe longe. 33 Nowe therfore let me thy seruaunt byde here for the lad, and be my Lordes bondman: and let the lad goo vp wt his brethren. 34 For howe can I goo vp to my father, yf the lad be not with me? onlesse I wolde see the wretchednes that shall come on my father.