Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

Who answered, Thy seruant our father is in good health, he is yet aliue: and they bowed downe, and made obeysance.

And he lifting vp his eyes, beheld his brother Beniamin his mothers sonne, and sayde, Is this your yonger brother, of whome ye tolde me? And he said, God be merciful vnto thee, my sone.

And Ioseph made haste (for his affection was inflamed towarde his brother, and sought where to weepe) and entred into his chamber, and wept there.

Afterward he washed his face, and came out, and refrained himselfe, and sayd, Set on meate.

And they prepared for him by himselfe, and for them by themselues, and for the Egyptians, which did eate with him, by themselues, because the Egyptians might not eate bread with the Ebrewes: for that was an abomination vnto the Egyptians.

So they sate before him: the eldest according vnto his age, and the yongest according vnto his youth. and the men marueiled among themselues.

And they tooke meases from before him, and sent to them: but Beniamins mease was fiue times so much as any of theirs: and they drunke, and had of the best drinke with him.

Afterward he commanded his steward, saying, Fill the mens sackes with foode, as much as they can carry, and put euery mans money in his sackes mouth.

And put my cup, I meane the siluer cup, in the sackes mouth of the yongest, and his corne money. And he did according to the commandement that Ioseph gaue him.

And in the morning the men were sent away, they, and their asses.

And when they went out of the citie not farre off, Ioseph sayd to his stewarde, Vp, follow after the men: and when thou doest ouertake them, say vnto them, Wherefore haue ye rewarded euill for good?

Is that not the cuppe, wherein my Lord drinketh? and in the which he doeth deuine and prophecie? ye haue done euill in so doing.

And when he ouertooke them, he sayde those wordes vnto them.

And they answered him, Wherefore sayeth my lorde such wordes? God forbid that thy seruants should do such a thing.

Behold, the money which we found in our sackes mouthes, wee brought againe to thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steale out of thy lordes house siluer or golde?

With whomesoeuer of thy seruants it bee found, let him dye, and we also will be my lordes bondmen.

And he said, Now then let it be according vnto your wordes: he with whome it is found, shall be my seruant, and ye shalbe blamelesse.

Then at once euery man tooke downe his sacke to the grounde, and euery one opened his sacke.

And he searched, and began at the eldest and left at the yongest: and the cuppe was found in Beniamins sacke.

Then they rent their clothes, and laded euery man his asse, and went againe into the citie.

So Iudah and his brethren came to Iosephs house (for he was yet there) and they fel before him on the ground.

Then Ioseph sayd vnto them, What acte is this, which ye haue done? know ye not that such a man as I, can deuine and prophecie?

Then sayd Iudah, What shall we say vnto my lord? what shall we speake? and howe can we iustifie our selues? God hath found out the wickednesse of thy seruants: beholde, we are seruants to my Lord, both wee, and he, with whome the cuppe is founde.

But he answered, God forbid, that I should doe so, but the man, with whome the cuppe is founde, he shalbe my seruant, and go ye in peace vnto your father.

Then Iudah drewe neere vnto him, and sayde, O my Lord, let thy seruant nowe speake a worde in my lordes eares, and let not thy wrath be kindled against thy seruant: for thou art euen as Pharaoh.