Genesis 44

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Genesis 44

1And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack.Καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ Ἰωσὴφ τῷ ὄντι ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ, λέγων, πλήσατε τοὺς μαρσίππους τῶν ἀνθρώπων βρωμάτων, ὅσα ἐὰν δύνωνται ἆραι· καὶ ἐμβάλετε ἑκάστου τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ μαρσίππου.

2And put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said.Καὶ τὸ κόνδυ μου τὸ ἀργυροῦν ἐμβάλετε εἰς τὸν μάρσιππον τοῦ νεωτέρου, καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ σίτου αὐτοῦ· ἐγενήθη δὲ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα Ἰωσὴφ, καθὼς εἶπε.

3The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.Τὸ πρωῒ διέφαυσε· καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀπεστάλησαν, αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ ὄνοι αὐτῶν.

4And when they had gone out of the city, and were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and you shall overtake them, and say to them, Why have you returned evil for good?Ἐξελθόντων δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν πόλιν, οὐκ ἀπέσχον μακράν· καὶ Ἰωσὴφ εἶπε τῷ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ, ἀναστὰς ἐπιδίωξον ὀπίσω τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ καταλήμψῃ αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς τί ὅτι ἀνταπεδώκατε πονηρὰ ἀντὶ καλῶν;

5Why have you stolen my silver cup? is it not this * out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; you have accomplished evil in that which you have done.Ἱνατί ἐκλέψατέ μου τὸ κόνδυ τὸ ἀργυροῦν; οὐ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἐν ᾧ πίνει ὁ κύριός μου; αὐτὸς δὲ οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνίζεται ἐν αὐτῷ. πονηρὰ συντετελέκατε ἃ πεποιήκατε.

6And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.Εὑρὼν δὲ αὐτοὺς, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα.

7And they said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from your servants to do according to this word.Οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ, ἱνατί λαλεῖ ὁ κύριος κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα; μὴ γένοιτο τοῖς παισίν σου ποιῆσαι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο.

8If we brought back to you out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of your lord?Εἰ τὸ μὲν ἀργύριον, ὃ εὕρομεν ἐν τοῖς μαρσίπποις ἡμῶν, ἀπεστρέψαμεν πρὸς σὲ ἐκ γῆς Χαναὰν, πῶς ἂν κλέψαιμεν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ κυρίου σου ἀργύριον ἢ χρυσίον;

9With whoever of your servants you shall find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord.Παρʼ ᾧ ἂν εὕρῃς τὸ κόνδυ τῶν παιδων σου, ἀποθνησκέτω· καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐσόμεθα παῖδες τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.

10And he said, Now then it shall be as you say; with whoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and you shall be clear.Ὁ δὲ εἶπε, καὶ νῦν, ὡς λέγετε, οὕτως ἔσται· παρʼ ᾧ ἂν εὑρεθῇ τὸ κόνδυ, ἔσται μου παῖς ὑμεῖς δὲ ἔσεσθε καθαροί.

11And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack.Καὶ ἔσπευσαν, καὶ καθεῖλαν ἕκαστος τὸν μάρσιππον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· καὶ ἤνοιξαν ἕκαστος τὸν μάρσιππον αὐτοῦ.

12And he searched, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.Ἠρεύνησε δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἀρξάμενος, ἕως ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν νεώτερον. καὶ εὗρε τὸ κόνδυ ἐν τῷ μαρσίππῳ τοῦ Βενιαμίν.

13And they tore their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.Καὶ διέῤῥηξαν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἕκαστος τὸν μαρσίππον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ὄνον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν.

14And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him.Εἰσῆλθε δὲ Ἰούδας καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Ἰωσὴφ ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἔπεσον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.

15And Joseph said to them, What is this thing that you have done? know you not that a man such as I can surely divine?Εἶπε δὲ αὐτοῖς Ἰωσὴφ, τί τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο ἐποιήσατε; οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνιεῖται ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οἷος ἐγώ;

16And Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? † whereas God has revealed the unrighteousness of your servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been found.Εἶπε δὲ Ἰούδας, τί ἀντεροῦμεν τῷ κυρίῳ, ἢ τί λαλήσομεν, ἢ τί δικαιωθῶμεν; ὁ Θεὸς δὲ εὗρε τὴν ἀδικίαν τῶν παίδων σου· ἰδού ἐσμεν οἰκέται τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, καὶ ἡμεῖς, καὶ παρʼ ᾧ εὑρέθη τὸ κόνδυ.

17And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do you go up with safety to your father.Εἶπε δὲ Ἰωσὴφ, μή μοι γένοιτο ποιῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο· ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρʼ ᾧ εὑρέθη τὸ κόνδυ, αὐτὸς ἔσται μου παῖς· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀνάβητε μετὰ σωτηρίας πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν.

18And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let your servant speak a word before you, and be not angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharao.Ἐγγίσας δὲ αὐτῷ Ἰούδας εἶπε, δέομαι, κύριε· λαλησάτω ὁ παῖς σου ῥῆμα ἐναντίον σου, καὶ μὴ θυμωθῇς τῷ παιδί σου, ὅτι σὺ εἶ μετὰ Φαραώ.

19Sir, you asked your servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother?Κύριε, σὺ ἠρώτησας τοὺς παῖδάς σου, λέγων, εἰ ἔχετε πατέρα ἢ ἀδελφόν.

20And we said to my lord, We have a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him.Καὶ εἴπαμεν τῷ κυρίῳ, ἔστιν ἡμῖν πατὴρ πρεσβύτερος, καὶ παιδίον γήρως νεώτερον αὐτῷ, καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπέθανεν, αὐτὸς δὲ μόνος ὑπελείφθη τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτὸν ἠγάπησεν·

21And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.Εἶπας δὲ τοῖς παισί σου, καταγάγετε αὐτὸν πρὸς μέ, καὶ ἐπιμελοῦμαι αὐτοῦ.

22And we said to my lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die.Καὶ εἴπαμεν τῷ κυρίῳ, οὐ δυνήσεται τὸ παιδίον καταλιπεῖν τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ· ἐὰν δὲ καταλείπῃ τὸν πατέρα, ἀποθανεῖται.

23But you said to your servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, you shall not see my face again.Σὺ δὲ εἶπας τοῖς παισί σου, ἐὰν μὴ καταβῇ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν ὁ νεώτερος μεθʼ ὑμῶν, οὐ προσθήσεσθε ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου.

24And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.Ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἀνέβημεν πρὸς τὸν παῖδά σου πατέρα ἡμῶν, ἀπηγγείλαμεν αὐτῷ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.

25And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.Εἶπε δὲ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν, βαδίσατε πάλιν καὶ ἀγοράσατε ἡμῖν μικρὰ βρώματα.

26And we said, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us.Ἡμεῖς δὲ εἴπομεν, οὐ δυνησόμεθα καταβῆναι· ἀλλʼ εἰ μὲν ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν ὁ νεώτερος καταβαίνει μεθʼ ἡμῶν, καταβησόμεθα· οὐ γὰρ δυνησόμεθα ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν τοῦ νεωτέρου μὴ ὄντος μεθʼ ἡμῶν.

27And your servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons;Εἶπε δὲ ὁ παῖς σου πατὴρ ἡμῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὑμεῖς γινώσκετε ὅτι δύο ἔτεκέ μοι ἡ γυνὴ,

28and one is departed from me; and you said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ εἷς ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ· καὶ εἴπατε ὅτι θηριόβρωτος γέγονεν, καὶ οὐκ ἴδον αὐτὸν ἄχρι νῦν.

29If then you take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall you bring down my old age with sorrow to ‡ the grave.Ἐὰν οὖν λάβητε καὶ τοῦτον ἐκ τοῦ προσώπου μου, καὶ συμβῇ αὐτῷ μαλακία ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ κατάξετέ μου τὸ γῆρας μετὰ λύπης εἰς ᾅδου.

30Now then, if I should go in to your servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this lad's life)Νῦν οὖν ἐὰν εἰσπορεύωμαι πρὸς τὸν παῖδά σου, πατέρα δὲ ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸ παιδίον μὴ ᾖ μεθʼ ἡμῶν, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐκκρέμαται ἐκ τῆς τούτου ψυχῆς,

31—it shall even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, that he will die, and your servants will bring down the old age of your servant, and our father, with sorrow to the grave. §καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν μὴ ὂν τὸ παιδίον μεθʼ ἡμῶν, τελευτήσει, καὶ κατάξουσιν οἱ παῖδές σου τὸ γῆρας τοῦ παιδός σου, πατρὸς δὲ ἡμῶν, μετὰ λύπης εἰς ᾅδου.

32For your servant has received the boy in charge from his father, saying, If I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards my father for ever.Ὁ γὰρ παῖς σου παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκδέδεκται τὸ παιδίον, λέγων, ἐὰν μὴ ἀγάγω αὐτὸν πρὸς σὲ, καὶ στήσω αὐτὸν ἐνώπιόν σου, ἡμαρτηκὼς ἔσομαι εἰς τὸν πατέρα πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας.

33Now then I will remain a servant with you instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up with his brethren.Νῦν οὖν παραμενῶ σοι παῖς ἀντὶ τοῦ παιδίου, οἰκέτης τοῦ κυρίου· τὸ δὲ παιδίον ἀναβήτω μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ.

34For how shall I go up to my father, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall my father.Πῶς γὰρ ἀναβήσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, τοῦ παιδίου μὴ ὄντος μεθʼ ἡμῶν; ἵνα μὴ ἴδω τὰ κακὰ, ἃ εὑρήσει τὸν πατέρα μου.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 5*Gr. in which.
• v. 16†Gr. but.
• v. 29‡Gr. Hades.
• v. 31§Gr. Hades.