4. They had not gone far out of the city when Joseph said to his steward: “Go at once after the men! When you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why did you repay good with evil? Why did you steal my silver goblet?
5. Is it not the very one from which my master drinks and which he uses for divination? What you have done is wrong.’”
6. When the steward overtook them and repeated these words to them,
7. they said to him: “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!
8. We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money that we found in the mouths of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?
9. If any of your servants is found to have the goblet, he shall die, and as for the rest of us, we shall become my lord’s slaves.”
10. But he replied, “Now what you propose is fair enough, but only the one who is found to have it shall become my slave, and the rest of you can go free.”
11. Then each of them quickly lowered his bag to the ground and opened it;
12. and when a search was made, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest, the goblet turned up in Benjamin’s bag.
13. At this, they tore their garments. Then, when each man had loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city.
14. When Judah and his brothers entered Joseph’s house, he was still there; so they flung themselves on the ground before him.
15. “How could you do such a thing?” Joseph asked them. “Did you not know that such a man as I could discern by divination what happened?”
16. Judah replied: “What can we say to my lord? How can we plead or how try to prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. Here we are, then, the slaves of my lord—the rest of us no less than the one in whose possession the goblet was found.”
17. Joseph said, “Far be it from me to act thus! Only the one in whose possession the goblet was found shall become my slave; the rest of you may go back unharmed to your father.”
18. Judah then stepped up to him and said: “I beg you, my lord, let your servant appeal to my lord, and do not become angry with your servant, for you are the equal of Pharaoh.
19. My lord asked his servants, ‘Have you a father, or another brother?’