A silver cup in a sack
1Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: ‘Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. 2Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.’ And he did as Joseph said.
3As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, ‘Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, “Why have you repaid good with evil? 5Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.” ’
6When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7But they said to him, ‘Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.’
10‘Very well, then,’ he said, ‘let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.’
11Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15Joseph said to them, ‘What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?’
16‘What can we say to my lord?’ Judah replied. ‘What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves – we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.’
17But Joseph said, ‘Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.’
18Then Judah went up to him and said: ‘Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19My lord asked his servants, “Do you have a father or a brother?” 20And we answered, “We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.”
21‘Then you said to your servants, “Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.” 22And we said to my lord, “The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.” 23But you told your servants, “Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.” 24When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.
25‘Then our father said, “Go back and buy a little more food.” 26But we said, “We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.”
27‘Your servant my father said to us, “You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28One of them went away from me, and I said, ‘He has surely been torn to pieces.’ And I have not seen him since. 29If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my grey head down to the grave in misery.”
30‘So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life, 31sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the grey head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. 32Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, “If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!”
33‘Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.’
Ang Nawala nga Kopa
1Unya, gimandoan ni Jose ang sinaligan sa iyang balay, “Pun-a ug pagkaon ang mga sako sa managsoon kutob sa ilang madala, ug isulod sa ilang mga sako ang kuwarta nga ilang gibayad. 2Unya isulod ang akong kopa nga plata sa sako sa kamanghoran uban sa kuwarta nga iyang gibayad sa pagkaon.44:2 pagkaon: sa literal, lugas.” Gibuhat sa sinaligan ang giingon ni Jose.
3Sayo sa sunod nga adlaw, gipagikan ang managsoon uban sa ilang mga asno. 4Apan wala pa sila makapalayo sa lungsod sa dihang miingon si Jose sa iyang sinaligan, “Dali, apasa kadtong mga tawhana! Ug kon maabtan mo sila, ingna sila, ‘Nganong gibalosan man ninyog daotan ang kaayo nga gibuhat namo kaninyo? 5Nganong gikuha man ninyo ang kopa nga imnanan sa akong agalon ug gamitonon usab niya sa pagpanagna? Dili maayo kining inyong gihimo.’ ”
6Sa dihang naapsan sa sinaligan ang managsoon, gisulti niya kadto kanila. 7Miingon sila, “Sir, nganong nakasulti ka man niana? Dili kami makahimo niana. 8Nasayod ka nga gikan sa Canaan gidala namo ug balik kanimo ang kuwarta nga nakita namo sulod sa among mga sako. Unya mangawat na hinuon kami ug pilak o bulawan gikan sa balay sa imong agalon? 9Kon makita mo ang kopa sa usa kanamo, patya siya ug kami mahimo ninyong ulipon.” 10Miingon ang sinaligan, “Sige, kon makit-an ang kopa diha sa usa kaninyo himuon ko siyang ulipon, ug ang uban kaninyo wala nay tulubagon.” 11Busa nagdali-dali ang matag usa sa pagpakanaog sa ilang mga sako ug giablihan nila kini. 12Unya nagsugod pagsusi ang sinaligan gikan sa sako sa kamagulangan hangtod sa kamanghoran, ug ang kopa nakita didto sa sako ni Benjamin. 13Sa pagkakita niini sa managsoon, gigisi nila ang ilang mga bisti tungod sa kasubo. Unya gikarga nila pag-usab sa asno ang ilang mga sako ug namalik sila sa lungsod.
14Sa pag-abot ni Juda ug sa iyang mga igsoon sa Ehipto, didto pa si Jose sa iyang balay. Misulod sila sa balay ug miyukbo sa atubangan ni Jose. 15Miingon si Jose kanila, “Unsa kining inyong gihimo? Wala ba kamo masayod nga ang tawong sama kanako mahibalong managna?” 16Miingon si Juda, “Sir, unsa pa may among ikasulti? Wala na kami ikapangatarungan pa kanimo. Ang Dios mao ang nagpadayag sa among sala. Karon, kaming tanan imo nang mga ulipon—kami ug kadtong usa diin didto kaniya nakit-an ang kopa.” 17Apan miingon si Jose, “Dili kana mahimo. Siya lang nga nasakpan nga nagdala sa kopa mao ang akong himuong ulipon. Ug kamo makapauli na nga walay kakulian ngadto sa inyong amahan.”
Nagpakilooy si Juda alang kang Benjamin
18Miduol si Juda kang Jose ug miingon, “Nagahangyo ako kanimo, sir, kon mahimo pamatia ako. Hinaut nga dili ka masuko kanako, bisan tuod ug sama ka na sa hari sa Ehipto.44:18 hari sa Ehipto: sa Hebreo, Faraon. 19Nangutana ka kanamo kon may amahan ug igsoon pa ba kami, 20ug miingon kami nga may amahan pa kami nga tigulang na ug may manghod nga natawo sa dihang tigulang na ang among amahan. Miingon usab kami nga namatay na ang iyang igsoon ug siya na lang ang nahibilin nga anak sa iyang inahan, busa gimahal siya pag-ayo sa among44:20 among: sa literal, iyang. amahan. 21Unya miingon ka kanamo nga dad-on siya kanimo aron makita mo siya. 22Miingon kami kanimo nga dili mahimo nga biyaan sa among manghod ang among amahan kay ikamatay niya kini. 23Apan miingon ka nga dili ka na moatubang pag-usab kanamo kon dili namo kauban ang among kamanghoran. 24Kining tanan gisugilon namo sa among amahan sa among pagpauli. 25Unya miingon ang among amahan nga mobalik kami dinhi kay mopalit pag-usab ug pagkaon. 26Apan miingon kami kaniya nga molakaw lang kami kon kauban namo ang among kamanghoran, tungod kay dili kami mahimong mopakita kanimo kon dili namo siya kauban. 27Mao kini ang iyang gitubag kanamo, ‘Nasayod kamo nga gihatagan akog duha ka anak nga lalaki sa akong asawa nga si Raquel. 28Ang usa wala na; gikunis-kunis tingali siya sa bangis nga mananap. Ug hangtod karon, wala ko na gayod siya makita. 29Kon kuhaon pa gayod ninyo kining usa gikan kanako, ug kon may mahitabo kaniya, niining akong katigulangon mamatay gayod ako sa kaguol.’
30“Busa, sir, ang kinabuhi sa among amahan nabugkos sa kinabuhi sa among kamanghoran. Kon mopauli kami nga dili namo siya kauban, 31sigurado gayod nga mamatay sa kaguol ang among tigulang na nga amahan. 32Gigarantiya ko ang akong kinabuhi alang sa among kamanghoran. Giingnan ko ang akong amahan nga kon dili ko madala pagbalik kaniya ang iyang anak, ako ang iyang basolon sa tibuok kong kinabuhi. 33Busa, sir, ako na lang ang magpabilin dinhi isip imong ulipon puli sa among kamanghoran, ug tugoti na lang siya nga makapauli uban sa iyang mga igsoon. 34Dili ako mopauli kon dili ko kauban ang among kamanghoran. Dili ako makaako sa pagsud-ong sa daotan unya nga mahitabo sa among amahan tungod niini.”
