82 : Josephs Plan
Then Joseph gave orders to 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.
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his grain money."
The steward did everything Joseph had told him.
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
When they had left the city, but were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward:
"Up, follow the men! When you have overtaken them, say to them:
'Why have you returned evil for good?
Is not this the cup from which my lord drinks, and which he prophecies?
In doing this you have done evil!'"
The steward overtook them, and he spoke to them in the words of Joseph.
But they said to him: "Why does my lord say these things?
God forbid that your servant should do anything like this.
Behold, the money we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?
"Let whoever among us is found to have this object die, and the rest of us will be your lord's slaves."
The steward said: "Let it be as you say.
He who is found to have it shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall be blameless."
Then each man speedily put down his sack on the ground, and each man opened his sack.
The steward searched, beginning with the eldest and finishing
with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
Joseph's brothers tore their clothes in grief;
then each man loaded his ass again and they returned to the city.
Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house and found him there.
They fell down before him on the ground.
Joseph said to them: "What is this that you have done?
Do you not know that a man like me can see through these things?"
"What shall we say to my lord?" answered Judah.
"How shall we speak and how shall we clear ourselves?
God has found out the wickedness of your servants.
Behold, we shall be my lord's slaves, all of us as well as he in whose sack the cup was found."
'God forbid that I should demand that Joseph said.
"The man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave.
As for the rest of you, go in peace to your father."
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