The Living Bible by Inc. Tyndale House Publishers Page B

them. 24  They were then conducted into the palace and given water to refresh their feet; and their donkeys were fed. 25  Then they got their presents ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they were told that they would be eating there. 26  When Joseph came home they gave him their presents, bowing low before him.
         27  He asked how they had been getting along. “And how is your father—the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”
         28  “Yes,” they replied. “He is alive and well.” Then again they bowed before him.
         29  Looking at his brother Benjamin, * he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about? How are you, my son? God be gracious to you.” 30  Then Joseph made a hasty exit, for he was overcome with love for his brother and had to go out and cry. Going into his bedroom, he wept there. 31  Then he washed his face and came out, keeping himself under control. “Let’s eat,” he said.
         32  Joseph ate by himself, his brothers were served at a separate table, and the Egyptians at still another; for Egyptians despise Hebrews and never eat with them. 33  He told each of them where to sit, and seated them in the order of their ages, from the oldest to the youngest, much to their amazement! 34  Their food was served to them from his own table. He gave the largest serving to Benjamin—five times as much as to any of the others! They had a wonderful time bantering back and forth, and the wine flowed freely!
    Genesis 44
    When his brothers were ready to leave, * Joseph ordered his household manager to fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they could carry—and to put into the mouth of each man’s sack the money he had paid! 2  He was also told to put Joseph’s own silver cup at the top of Benjamin’s sack, along with the grain money. So the household manager did as he was told. 3  The brothers were up at dawn and on their way with their loaded donkeys.
         4  But when they were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his household manager, “Chase after them and stop them and ask them why they are acting like this when their benefactor has been so kind to them? 5  Ask them, ‘What do you mean by stealing my lord’s personal silver drinking cup, which he uses for fortune-telling? What a wicked thing you have done!’” 6  So he caught up with them and spoke to them along the lines he had been instructed.
         7  “What in the world are you talking about?” they demanded. “What kind of people do you think we are, that you accuse us of such a terrible thing as that? 8  Didn’t we bring back the money we found in the mouth of our sacks? Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9  If you find his cup with any one of us, let that one die. And all the rest of us will be slaves forever to your master.”
         10  “Fair enough,” the man replied, “except that only the one who stole it will be a slave, and the rest of you can go free.”
         11  They quickly took down their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. 12  He began searching the oldest brother’s sack, going on down the line to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s! 13  They ripped their clothing in despair, loaded the donkeys again, and returned to the city. 14  Joseph was still home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.
         15  “What were you trying to do?” Joseph demanded. “Didn’t you know such a man as I would know who stole it?”
         16  And Judah said, “Oh, what shall we say to my lord? How can we plead? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. Sir, we have all returned to be your slaves, both we and he in whose sack the cup was found.”
         17  “No,” Joseph said. “Only the man who stole the cup, he shall be my slave. The rest of you can go on home to your