|
A
Silver Cup in a Sack
1 And he commanded the steward of his house,
saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can
carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.
2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of
the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to
the word that Joseph had spoken.
3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent
away, they and their asses.
4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet
far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the
men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them,
Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby
indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these
same words.
7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these
words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to
this thing:
8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks'
mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of
Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house
silver or gold?
9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let
him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.
10 And he said, Now also let it be according unto your
words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye
shall be blameless.
11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to
the ground, and opened every man his sack.
12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at
the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his
ass, and returned to the city.
14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house;
for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the
ground.
15 And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye
have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly
divine?
16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what
shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath
found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my
lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is
found.
17 And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the
man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant;
and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord,
let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's
ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for
thou art even as Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father,
or a brother?
20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old
man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his
brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his
father loveth him.
21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down
unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his
father: for if he should leave his father, his father would
die.
23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your
youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no
more.
24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant
my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little
food.
26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest
brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see
the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.
27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that
my wife bare me two sons:
28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he
is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall
him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the
grave.
30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father,
and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up
in the lad's life;
31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is
not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring
down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to
the grave.
32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my
father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall
bear the blame to my father for ever.
33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide
instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go
up with his brethren.
34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be
not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall
come on my father. |
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
