And he commanded the steward of his house

א וַיְצַו אֶת-אֲשֶׁר עַל-בֵּיתוֹ, לֵאמֹר, מַלֵּא אֶת-אַמְתְּחֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֹכֶל, כַּאֲשֶׁר יוּכְלוּן שְׂאֵת; וְשִׂים כֶּסֶף-אִישׁ, בְּפִי אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ. 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.


ב וְאֶת-גְּבִיעִי גְּבִיעַ הַכֶּסֶף, תָּשִׂים בְּפִי אַמְתַּחַת הַקָּטֹן, וְאֵת, כֶּסֶף שִׁבְרוֹ; וַיַּעַשׂ, כִּדְבַר יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר. 2 And put my goblet, the silver goblet, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.' And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

ג הַבֹּקֶר, אוֹר; וְהָאֲנָשִׁים שֻׁלְּחוּ, הֵמָּה וַחֲמֹרֵיהֶם. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

ד הֵם יָצְאוּ אֶת-הָעִיר, לֹא הִרְחִיקוּ, וְיוֹסֵף אָמַר לַאֲשֶׁר עַל-בֵּיתוֹ, קוּם רְדֹף אַחֲרֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים; וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם, לָמָּה שִׁלַּמְתֶּם רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה. 4 And when they were gone out of the city, and were 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?

ה הֲלוֹא זֶה, אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁתֶּה אֲדֹנִי בּוֹ, וְהוּא, נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ בּוֹ; הֲרֵעֹתֶם, אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם. 5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.'

ו וַיַּשִּׂגֵם; וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם, אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה. 6 And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words.

ז וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו--לָמָּה יְדַבֵּר אֲדֹנִי, כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה; חָלִילָה, לַעֲבָדֶיךָ, מֵעֲשׂוֹת, כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה. 7 And they said unto him: 'Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

ח הֵן כֶּסֶף, אֲשֶׁר מָצָאנוּ בְּפִי אַמְתְּחֹתֵינוּ--הֱשִׁיבֹנוּ אֵלֶיךָ, מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן; וְאֵיךְ, נִגְנֹב מִבֵּית אֲדֹנֶיךָ, כֶּסֶף, אוֹ זָהָב. 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan; how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

ט אֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא אִתּוֹ מֵעֲבָדֶיךָ, וָמֵת; וְגַם-אֲנַחְנוּ, נִהְיֶה לַאדֹנִי לַעֲבָדִים. 9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.'

י וַיֹּאמֶר, גַּם-עַתָּה כְדִבְרֵיכֶם כֶּן-הוּא: אֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא אִתּוֹ יִהְיֶה-לִּי עָבֶד, וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ נְקִיִּם. 10 And he said: 'Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.'

יא וַיְמַהֲרוּ, וַיּוֹרִדוּ אִישׁ אֶת-אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ--אָרְצָה; וַיִּפְתְּחוּ, אִישׁ אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ. 11 Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

יב וַיְחַפֵּשׂ--בַּגָּדוֹל הֵחֵל, וּבַקָּטֹן כִּלָּה; וַיִּמָּצֵא, הַגָּבִיעַ, בְּאַמְתַּחַת, בִּנְיָמִן. 12 And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack.

יג וַיִּקְרְעוּ, שִׂמְלֹתָם; וַיַּעֲמֹס אִישׁ עַל-חֲמֹרוֹ, וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הָעִירָה. 13 And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

יד וַיָּבֹא יְהוּדָה וְאֶחָיו בֵּיתָה יוֹסֵף, וְהוּא עוֹדֶנּוּ שָׁם; וַיִּפְּלוּ לְפָנָיו, אָרְצָה. 14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground.

טו וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם יוֹסֵף, מָה-הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם; הֲלוֹא יְדַעְתֶּם, כִּי-נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר כָּמֹנִי. 15 And Joseph said unto them: 'What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?'

טז וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה, מַה-נֹּאמַר לַאדֹנִי, מַה-נְּדַבֵּר, וּמַה-נִּצְטַדָּק; הָאֱלֹהִים, מָצָא אֶת-עֲו‍ֹן עֲבָדֶיךָ--הִנֶּנּוּ עֲבָדִים לַאדֹנִי, גַּם-אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם אֲשֶׁר-נִמְצָא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּיָדוֹ. 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 bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.'

יז וַיֹּאמֶר--חָלִילָה לִּי, מֵעֲשׂוֹת זֹאת; הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּיָדוֹ, הוּא יִהְיֶה-לִּי עָבֶד, וְאַתֶּם, עֲלוּ לְשָׁלוֹם אֶל-אֲבִיכֶם. {ס} 17 And he said: 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.' {S}

יח וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה, וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי, יְדַבֶּר-נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי, וְאַל-יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ: כִּי כָמוֹךָ, כְּפַרְעֹה. 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.

יט אֲדֹנִי שָׁאַל, אֶת-עֲבָדָיו לֵאמֹר: הֲיֵשׁ-לָכֶם אָב, אוֹ-אָח. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a brother?

כ וַנֹּאמֶר, אֶל-אֲדֹנִי, יֶשׁ-לָנוּ אָב זָקֵן, וְיֶלֶד זְקֻנִים קָטָן; וְאָחִיו מֵת, וַיִּוָּתֵר הוּא לְבַדּוֹ לְאִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו אֲהֵבוֹ. 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.

כא וַתֹּאמֶר, אֶל-עֲבָדֶיךָ, הוֹרִדֻהוּ, אֵלָי; וְאָשִׂימָה עֵינִי, עָלָיו. 21 And thou saidst unto thy servants: Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

כב וַנֹּאמֶר, אֶל-אֲדֹנִי, לֹא-יוּכַל הַנַּעַר, לַעֲזֹב אֶת-אָבִיו: וְעָזַב אֶת-אָבִיו, וָמֵת. 22 And we said unto my lord: The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

כג וַתֹּאמֶר, אֶל-עֲבָדֶיךָ, אִם-לֹא יֵרֵד אֲחִיכֶם הַקָּטֹן, אִתְּכֶם--לֹא תֹסִפוּן, לִרְאוֹת פָּנָי. 23 And thou saidst unto thy servants: Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

כד וַיְהִי כִּי עָלִינוּ, אֶל-עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי; וַנַּגֶּד-לוֹ--אֵת, דִּבְרֵי אֲדֹנִי. 24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

כה וַיֹּאמֶר, אָבִינוּ: שֻׁבוּ, שִׁבְרוּ-לָנוּ מְעַט-אֹכֶל. 25 And our father said: Go again, buy us a little food.

כו וַנֹּאמֶר, לֹא נוּכַל לָרֶדֶת: אִם-יֵשׁ אָחִינוּ הַקָּטֹן אִתָּנוּ, וְיָרַדְנוּ--כִּי-לֹא נוּכַל לִרְאוֹת פְּנֵי הָאִישׁ, וְאָחִינוּ הַקָּטֹן אֵינֶנּוּ אִתָּנוּ. 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.

כז וַיֹּאמֶר עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי, אֵלֵינוּ: אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם, כִּי שְׁנַיִם יָלְדָה-לִּי אִשְׁתִּי. 27 And thy servant my father said unto us: Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;

כח וַיֵּצֵא הָאֶחָד, מֵאִתִּי, וָאֹמַר, אַךְ טָרֹף טֹרָף; וְלֹא רְאִיתִיו, עַד-הֵנָּה. 28 and the one went out from me, and I said: Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since;

כט וּלְקַחְתֶּם גַּם-אֶת-זֶה מֵעִם פָּנַי, וְקָרָהוּ אָסוֹן--וְהוֹרַדְתֶּם אֶת-שֵׂיבָתִי בְּרָעָה, שְׁאֹלָה. 29 and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

ל וְעַתָּה, כְּבֹאִי אֶל-עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי, וְהַנַּעַר, אֵינֶנּוּ אִתָּנוּ; וְנַפְשׁוֹ, קְשׁוּרָה בְנַפְשׁוֹ. 30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul;

לא וְהָיָה, כִּרְאוֹתוֹ כִּי-אֵין הַנַּעַר--וָמֵת; וְהוֹרִידוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ אֶת-שֵׂיבַת עַבְדְּךָ אָבִינוּ, בְּיָגוֹן--שְׁאֹלָה. 31 it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

לב כִּי עַבְדְּךָ עָרַב אֶת-הַנַּעַר, מֵעִם אָבִי לֵאמֹר: אִם-לֹא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ, וְחָטָאתִי לְאָבִי כָּל-הַיָּמִים. 32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

לג וְעַתָּה, יֵשֶׁב-נָא עַבְדְּךָ תַּחַת הַנַּעַר--עֶבֶד, לַאדֹנִי; וְהַנַּעַר, יַעַל עִם-אֶחָיו. 33 Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

לד כִּי-אֵיךְ אֶעֱלֶה אֶל-אָבִי, וְהַנַּעַר אֵינֶנּוּ אִתִּי: פֶּן אֶרְאֶה בָרָע, אֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא אֶת-אָבִי. 34 For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.'