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.”
18. Then Judah went to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me speak plainly to you. Please don’t be angry with me. I know that you are as powerful as the king of Egypt himself.
19. When we were here before, you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20. And we answered you, ‘We have an old father. And we have a younger brother. He was born when our father was old. This youngest son’s brother is dead. So he is the only one of his mother’s children left alive. And our father loves him very much.’
21. Then you said to us, ‘Bring that brother to me. I want to see him.’
22. And we said to you, ‘That young boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves him, his father would die.’
23. But you said to us, ‘You must bring your youngest brother. If you don’t, you will not be allowed to see me again.’
24. So we went back to our father and told him what you had said.
25. “Later, our father said, ‘Go again. Buy us a little more food.’
26. We said to our father, ‘We cannot go without our youngest brother. Without our youngest brother, we will not be allowed to see the governor.’
27. Then my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife Rachel gave me two sons.
28. One son left me. I thought, “Surely he has been torn apart by a wild animal.” And I haven’t seen him since.
29. Now you want to take this son away from me also. But something terrible might happen to him. Then I would be sad until the day I die.’
30. Now what will happen if we go home to our father without our youngest brother? He is the most important thing in our father’s life.