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 grain money.” And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
Now, the money was probably because he was taking care of his family, but the cup was an intentional test.
3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
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 overtake them, say unto them, ‘Why have ye rewarded evil for good?’
5 “ ‘Is not this the cup my lord drinks from, and whereby indeed he divines? Ye have done evil in so doing.’ “
We don’t actually know if Joseph used this cup for divining or if he is making up a story to test his brothers with. It was a common custom in Egypt (and other pagan countries) to use a special cup for soothsaying, sort of like tea-leaf reading today.
6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.
7 And they said unto him, “Why says 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 whoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my boss's slaves.”
They are pretty confident that they are in the right.
10 And he said, “Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my slave; and ye shall be blameless.”
“I just want the guilty one.”
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 tore their clothes, and laded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.
They didn’t just run home. They went back to try to save Benjamin.
14 And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
Judah is definitely the leader of the group throughout this whole episode. This is mentioned in Jacob’s blessings.
15 And Joseph said unto them, “What deed is this that ye have done? Don't ye know that such a man as I can certainly divine?”
“Don’t you know that I can tell fortunes and see the future?”
16 And Judah said, “What shall we say unto my boss? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my boss's slaves, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.”
“We have no defense. We will all be your slaves.”
I think Judah was afraid to go home without Benjamin.
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 slave; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.”
Joseph is setting up a real test. They have the option of going home without their brother but being free men themselves. Only if they really love Benjamin and their father will they refuse.
18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, “Oh my boss, let thy slave, I pray thee, speak a word in my boss's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy slave: for thou are even like Pharaoh.
19 “My boss asked his servants, saying, ‘Have ye a father, or a brother?’
20 “And we said unto my boss, ‘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 loves him.’
21 “And thou said unto thy slaves, ‘Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.’
22 “And we said unto my boss, ‘The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 “And thou said unto thy slaves, ‘Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.’
24 “And it came to pass when we came up unto thy slave my father, we told him the words of my boss.
25 “And our father said, ‘Go again, and buy us a little food.’
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.’
27 “And thy slave my father said unto us, ‘Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:
28 “ ‘And the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I saw him not since:
29 “ ‘And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’
30 “Now therefore when I come to thy slave my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;
31 “It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy slaves shall bring down the gray hairs of thy slave our father with sorrow to the grave.
32 “For thy slave became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, 'If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.'
33 “Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy slave stay instead of the lad a slave to my boss; and let the lad go up with his brothers.
34 “For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? Lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.”
Judah lays it all out, how Joseph has set them up, and how Jacob will die if Benjamin doesn’t go back home. He offers to be sacrificed in Benjamin’s place.
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.
Now, the money was probably because he was taking care of his family, but the cup was an intentional test.
3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
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 overtake them, say unto them, ‘Why have ye rewarded evil for good?’
5 “ ‘Is not this the cup my lord drinks from, and whereby indeed he divines? Ye have done evil in so doing.’ “
We don’t actually know if Joseph used this cup for divining or if he is making up a story to test his brothers with. It was a common custom in Egypt (and other pagan countries) to use a special cup for soothsaying, sort of like tea-leaf reading today.
6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.
7 And they said unto him, “Why says 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 whoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my boss's slaves.”
They are pretty confident that they are in the right.
10 And he said, “Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my slave; and ye shall be blameless.”
“I just want the guilty one.”
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 tore their clothes, and laded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.
They didn’t just run home. They went back to try to save Benjamin.
14 And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
Judah is definitely the leader of the group throughout this whole episode. This is mentioned in Jacob’s blessings.
15 And Joseph said unto them, “What deed is this that ye have done? Don't ye know that such a man as I can certainly divine?”
“Don’t you know that I can tell fortunes and see the future?”
16 And Judah said, “What shall we say unto my boss? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my boss's slaves, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.”
“We have no defense. We will all be your slaves.”
I think Judah was afraid to go home without Benjamin.
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 slave; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.”
Joseph is setting up a real test. They have the option of going home without their brother but being free men themselves. Only if they really love Benjamin and their father will they refuse.
18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, “Oh my boss, let thy slave, I pray thee, speak a word in my boss's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy slave: for thou are even like Pharaoh.
19 “My boss asked his servants, saying, ‘Have ye a father, or a brother?’
20 “And we said unto my boss, ‘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 loves him.’
21 “And thou said unto thy slaves, ‘Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.’
22 “And we said unto my boss, ‘The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 “And thou said unto thy slaves, ‘Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.’
24 “And it came to pass when we came up unto thy slave my father, we told him the words of my boss.
25 “And our father said, ‘Go again, and buy us a little food.’
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.’
27 “And thy slave my father said unto us, ‘Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:
28 “ ‘And the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I saw him not since:
29 “ ‘And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’
30 “Now therefore when I come to thy slave my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;
31 “It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy slaves shall bring down the gray hairs of thy slave our father with sorrow to the grave.
32 “For thy slave became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, 'If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.'
33 “Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy slave stay instead of the lad a slave to my boss; and let the lad go up with his brothers.
34 “For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? Lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.”
Judah lays it all out, how Joseph has set them up, and how Jacob will die if Benjamin doesn’t go back home. He offers to be sacrificed in Benjamin’s place.