- 1
- And he commaunded the ruler of his house, saying: fill the mens sackes with foode, as much as they can cary, & put euery mans mony in his sackesmouth:
- 2
- And put my cup, my siluer cup in the sackes mouth of the youngest, and his corne money also.
And he did according to the worde that Ioseph had saide.
- 3
- And in the morning assoone as it was lyght, the men were let go, they, and their asses.
- 4
- And when they were out of the citie, and not yet farre away, Ioseph sayde vnto the ruler of his house: vp, and folowe after the men, & when thou doest ouertake them, thou shalt say vnto them: wherfore haue ye rewarded euyl for good?
- 5
- Is not that the cuppe in the whiche my Lord drinketh?
and for the which he consulteth with the propheciers? Ye haue euill done that ye haue done.
- 6
- And when he ouertoke them, he sayd the same wordes vnto them.
- 7
- And they aunswered him: wherfore sayeth my Lorde suche wordes?
God forbid that thy seruauntes should do so.
- 8
- Beholde the money which we founde in our sackes mouthes, we brought agayne vnto thee, out of the land of Chanaan: howe then shoulde we steale out of thy Lordes house eyther siluer or golde?
- 9
- With whomsoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde, let him dye, and we also wyll be my Lordes bondmen.
- 10
- And he said, Nowe also let it be according vnto your wordes: he with whom it is founde, shalbe my seruaunt, and ye shalbe blamelesse.
- 11
- And at once euery man toke downe his sacke to the ground, and euery man opened his sacke.
- 12
- And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cuppe was founde in Beniamins sacke.
- 13
- Then they rent theyr clothes, and laded euery ma his asse, and went againe vnto the citie.
- 14
- And Iuda and his brethren came to Iosephes house (for he [was] yet there) and they fell before him on the ground.
- 15
- And Ioseph sayde vnto them: what deede is this that ye haue done?
Wote ye not that suche a man as I do consult with propheciers?
- 16
- Then saide Iuda: what shall we say vnto my lorde?
What shall we speake? or howe shall we cleare our selues? God hath founde out the wickednes of thy seruauntes: beholde, we are my lordes seruauntes, both we, yea, and he also with whom the cup is founde.
- 17
- And he aunswered, God forbid that I shoulde do so: but the man with who the cup is found, he shalbe my seruaunt, and get ye hence vp in peace vnto your father.
- 18
- Then Iuda went vnto him, and said: Oh my lorde, let thy seruaunt [I pray thee] speake a worde in my lordes eares, and be not inflamed with wrath agaynst thy seruaunt, for thou art euen as Pharao.
- 19
- My lorde asked his seruauntes, saying: haue ye a father, or a brother?
- 20
- And we aunswered my lorde: we haue a father that is olde, and a young lad, which he begat in his age: and the brother of the sayd lad is dead, and he is all that is left of his mother, and his father loueth him.
- 21
- And thou saidest vnto thy seruauntes: bryng him vnto me, that I may set my eyes vpon him.
- 22
- And we aunswered my Lorde, that the lad could not go from his father, for if he shoulde leaue his father, he were but dead.
- 23
- Then saydest thou vnto thy seruauntes: except your youngest brother come with you, loke that ye see my face no more.
- 24
- And when we came vnto thy seruaunt our father, we shewed hym the wordes of my Lorde.
- 25
- And our father sayde vnto vs: go agayne, and bye vs a litle foode.
- 26
- And we aunswered, we can not go downe: neuerthelesse, if our youngest brother be with vs, then wyll we go downe, for we may not see the mans face, except our youngest brother be with vs.
- 27
- And thy seruaunt our father sayd vnto vs: ye knowe that my wyfe bare me two sonnes.
- 28
- And the one went out from me, and I sayd, of a suretie he is torne in peeces, and I sawe him not since.
- 29
- And if ye take this also away from me, and destruction come vnto him, ye shall bryng my gray head with sorowe vnto the graue.
- 30
- Nowe therefore when I come to thy seruaunt my father, and the lad be not with vs (seing that his life hangeth by the laddes life.)
- 31
- Then shall it come to passe, that assoone as he seeth that the lad is not come, he wyll dye: so shall we thy seruauntes bryng the gray head of thy seruaunt our father with sorowe vnto the graue.
- 32
- For I thy seruaunt became suretie for the lad before my father, and saide: If I bryng hym not vnto thee agayne, I shal beare the blame vnto my father all my lyfe long.
- 33
- Nowe therefore I pray thee, let me thy seruaunt byde here for the lad, and be my lordes bondman, and let the lad go vp with his brethren.
- 34
- For howe can I go vp to my father, if the ladde be not with me?
vnlesse I woulde see the wretchednesse that shall come on my father.
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