Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

and they say, `Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive;' and they bow, and do obeisance.

And he lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and saith, `Is this your young brother, of whom ye have spoken unto me?' and he saith, `God favour thee, my son.'

And Joseph hasteth, for his bowels have been moved for his brother, and he seeketh to weep, and entereth the inner chamber, and weepeth there;

and he washeth his face, and goeth out, and refraineth himself, and saith, `Place bread.'

And they place for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who are eating with him by themselves: for the Egyptians are unable to eat bread with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians.

And they sit before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the young one according to his youth, and the men wonder one at another;

and he lifteth up gifts from before him unto them, and the gift of Benjamin is five hands more than the gifts of all of them; and they drink, yea, they drink abundantly with him.

And he commandeth him who is over his house, saying, `Fill the bags of the men with food, as they are able to bear, and put the money of each in the mouth of his bag;

and my cup, the silver cup, thou dost put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his corn-money;' and he doth according to the word of Joseph which he hath spoken.

The morning is bright, and the men have been sent away, they and their asses--

they have gone out of the city--they have not gone far off--and Joseph hath said to him who is over his house, `Rise, pursue after the men; and thou hast overtaken them, and thou hast said unto them, Why have ye recompensed evil for good?

Is not this that with which my lord drinketh? and he observeth diligently with it; ye have done evil in that which ye have done.'

And he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto them these words,

and they say unto him, `Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word;

lo, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back unto thee from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of thy lord silver or gold?

with whomsoever of thy servants it is found, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.'

And he saith, `Now, also, according to your words, so it is ; he with whom it is found becometh my servant, and ye are acquitted;'

and they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag;

and he searcheth--at the eldest he hath begun, and at the youngest he hath completed--and the cup is found in the bag of Benjamin;

and they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn back to the city.

And Judah--his brethren also--cometh in unto the house of Joseph, and he is yet there, and they fall before him to the earth;

and Joseph saith to them, `What is this deed that ye have done? have ye not known that a man like me doth diligently observe?'

And Judah saith, `What do we say to my lord? what do we speak? and what--do we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; lo, we are servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found;'

and he saith, `Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup hath been found, he becometh my servant; and ye, go ye up in peace unto your father.'

And Judah cometh nigh unto him, and saith, `O, my lord, let thy servant speak, I pray thee, a word in the ears of my lord, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant--for thou art as Pharaoh.