1. Then Joseph gave a command to the servant in charge of his house. Joseph said, “Fill the men’s sacks with as much grain as they can carry. And put each man’s money into his sack with the grain.
2. Put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother. Also put his money for the grain in that sack.” The servant did what Joseph told him.
3. At dawn the brothers were sent away with their donkeys.
4. They were not far from the city when Joseph said to the servant in charge of his house, “Go after the men. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why have you paid back evil for good?
5. The cup you have stolen is the one my master uses for drinking. And he uses it for explaining dreams. You have done a very wicked thing!’”
6. So the servant caught up with the brothers. He said to them what Joseph had told him to say.
7. But the brothers said to the servant, “Why do you say these things? We would not do anything like that!
8. We brought back to you the money we found in our sacks. We brought it back from the land of Canaan. So surely we would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house.
9. If you find that silver cup in the sack of one of us, then let him die. And we will be your slaves.”
10. The servant said, “We will do as you say. But only the man who has taken the cup will become my slave. The rest of you may go free.”
11. Then every brother quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12. The servant searched the sacks, going from the oldest brother to the youngest. He found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.
13. The brothers tore their clothes to show they were sad. Then they put their sacks back on the donkeys. And they returned to the city.
14. When Judah and his brothers went back to Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The brothers bowed facedown on the ground before him.
15. Joseph said to them, “What have you done? Didn’t you know that a man like me can learn things by signs and dreams?”
16. Judah said, “Sir, what can we say? And how can we show we are not guilty? God has uncovered our guilt. So all of us will be your slaves, not just Benjamin.”
17. But Joseph said, “I will not make you all slaves! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back safely to your father.”