Genesis 44:1-12
Expanded Bible
Joseph Sets a Trap
44 Then Joseph gave a command to the ·servant in charge of [L one over] his house. He said, “Fill the men’s sacks with as much ·grain [L food] as they can carry, and put each man’s ·money [silver] into his sack with the grain. 2 Put my silver ·cup [goblet] in the sack of the ·youngest [smallest] brother, along with his ·money [silver] for the grain.” ·The servant [L He] did what Joseph told him.
3 At dawn the ·brothers [L men] were sent away with their donkeys. 4 They were not far from the city when Joseph said to the ·servant in charge of [L one over] his house, “·Go after [L Get up and pursue] the men. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why have you paid back evil for good? 5 ·The cup you have stolen is the one [L Is this not what…?] my ·master [lord] uses for drinking and for ·explaining dreams [divination; C perhaps by pouring oil in water as a means of telling the future (called lecanomancy)]. ·You [L Is not what you…?] have done a very wicked thing!’ ”
6 So ·the servant [L he] caught up with ·the brothers [L them] and said to them ·what Joseph had told him to say [L these words].
7 But the brothers said to the servant, “Why do ·you [my master/lord] say these things? ·We would not [L Far be it from your servants to] do anything like that! 8 We brought back to you from the land of Canaan the ·money [silver] we found in our sacks. ·So surely we would not [L Why would we…?] steal silver or gold from your ·master’s [lord’s] house. 9 If ·you find that silver cup in the sack of one of [L it is found with one of] us, then let him die, and we will be your ·slaves [servants].”
10 ·The servant [L He] said, “·We will do [It will be] as you say, but only the man who has taken the cup will become my ·slave [servant]. The rest of you ·may go free [will be innocent].”
11 Then every brother quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened ·it [L their sack]. 12 ·The servant [L He] searched the sacks, ·going from [starting with] the oldest brother to [L and ending with] the ·youngest [smallest], and found the ·cup [goblet] in Benjamin’s sack.
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