English Bible Presentation Sharing - Genesis Book, chapter 44, verse 77 in Erven Version

Genesis 44 : 1 (ERVEN)

Then Joseph gave a command to his servant. He said, "Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they can carry. Then put each man's money into his sack with the grain.

Genesis 44 : 2 (ERVEN)

Put the youngest brother's money in his sack too. But also put my special silver cup in his sack." So the servant obeyed Joseph.

Genesis 44 : 3 (ERVEN)

Early the next morning the brothers and their donkeys were sent back to their country.

Genesis 44 : 4 (ERVEN)

After they had left the city, Joseph said to his servant, "Go and follow the men. Stop them and say to them, 'We were good to you! So why have you been bad to us? Why did you steal my master's silver cup?

Genesis 44 : 5 (ERVEN)

My master drinks from that cup, and he uses it to learn secret things. What you did was wrong!'"

Genesis 44 : 6 (ERVEN)

So the servant obeyed. He rode out to the brothers and stopped them. The servant said to them what Joseph had told him to say.

Genesis 44 : 7 (ERVEN)

But the brothers said to the servant, "Why does the governor say these things? We wouldn't do anything like that!

Genesis 44 : 8 (ERVEN)

We brought back the money that we found in our sacks before. So surely we wouldn't steal silver or gold from your master's house.

Genesis 44 : 9 (ERVEN)

If you find the silver cup in any of our sacks, let that man die. You can kill him, and we will be your slaves."

Genesis 44 : 10 (ERVEN)

The servant said, "I agree, except that only the man who is found to have the cup will be my slave. The others will be free."

Genesis 44 : 11 (ERVEN)

Then every brother quickly opened his sack on the ground.

Genesis 44 : 12 (ERVEN)

The servant started looking in the sacks. He started with the oldest brother and ended with the youngest. He found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

Genesis 44 : 13 (ERVEN)

The brothers were very sad. They tore their clothes to show their sadness. They put their sacks back on the donkeys and went back to the city.

Genesis 44 : 14 (ERVEN)

When Judah and his brothers went back to Joseph's house, Joseph was still there. The brothers fell to the ground and bowed down before him.

Genesis 44 : 15 (ERVEN)

Joseph said to them, "Why have you done this? Didn't you know that I have a special way of learning secrets? No one is better at this than I am!"

Genesis 44 : 16 (ERVEN)

Judah said, "Sir, there is nothing we can say. There is no way to explain. There is no way to show that we are not guilty. God has judged us guilty for something else we have done. So all of us, even Benjamin, will be your slaves."

Genesis 44 : 17 (ERVEN)

But Joseph said, "I will not make you all slaves! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. You others can go in peace to your father."

Genesis 44 : 18 (ERVEN)

Then Judah went to Joseph and said, "Sir, please let me speak plainly with you. Please don't be angry with me. I know that you are like Pharaoh himself.

Genesis 44 : 19 (ERVEN)

When we were here before, you asked us, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'

Genesis 44 : 20 (ERVEN)

And we answered you, 'We have a father�he is an old man. And we have a younger brother. Our father loves him because he was born while our father was old. This youngest son's brother is dead, so he is the only son who is left from that mother. Our father loves him very much.'

Genesis 44 : 21 (ERVEN)

Then you said to us, 'Bring that brother to me. I want to see him.'

Genesis 44 : 22 (ERVEN)

And we said to you, 'That young boy cannot come. He cannot leave his father. If his father loses him, his father will be so sad that he will die.'

Genesis 44 : 23 (ERVEN)

But you said to us, 'You must bring your youngest brother, or I will not sell you grain again.'

Genesis 44 : 24 (ERVEN)

So we went back to our father and told him what you said.

Genesis 44 : 25 (ERVEN)

"Later, our father said, 'Go back and buy us some more food.'

Genesis 44 : 26 (ERVEN)

We said to our father, 'We cannot go without our youngest brother. The governor said he will not sell us grain again until he sees our youngest brother.'

Genesis 44 : 27 (ERVEN)

Then my father said to us, 'You know that my wife Rachel gave me two sons.

Genesis 44 : 28 (ERVEN)

I let one son go away, and he was killed by a wild animal. And I haven't seen him since.

Genesis 44 : 29 (ERVEN)

If you take my other son away from me, and something happens to him, I will be sad enough to die.'

Genesis 44 : 30 (ERVEN)

Now, imagine what will happen when we go home without our youngest brother�he is the most important thing in our father's life!

Genesis 44 : 31 (ERVEN)

Our father will die if he sees that the boy isn't with us�and it will be our fault. We will send our father to his grave a very sad man.

Genesis 44 : 32 (ERVEN)

"I took responsibility for the young boy. I told my father, 'If I don't bring him back to you, you can blame me all my life.'

Genesis 44 : 33 (ERVEN)

So now I beg you, please let the boy go back with his brothers, and I will stay and be your slave.

Genesis 44 : 34 (ERVEN)

I cannot go back to my father if the boy is not with me. I am very afraid of what would happen to my father."