¹⁵ So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver,^(A) and Benjamin also. They hurried^(B) down to Egypt and presented themselves^(C) to Joseph. ¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin^(D) with them, he said to the steward of his house,^(E) “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal;^(F) they are to eat with me at noon.”

¹⁷ The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house.^{(G) 18} Now the men were frightened^(H) when they were taken to his house.^(I) They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks^(J) the first time. He wants to attack us^(K) and overpower us and seize us as slaves^(L) and take our donkeys.^(M)”

¹⁹ So they went up to Joseph’s steward^(N) and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. ²⁰ “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food.^{(O) 21} But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us.^{(P) 22} We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”

⁷ But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants^(A) to do anything like that!^{(B) 8} We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan^(C) the silver^(D) we found inside the mouths of our sacks.^(E) So why would we steal^(F) silver or gold from your master’s house? ⁹ If any of your servants^(G) is found to have it, he will die;^(H) and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.^(I)”

¹⁰ “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it^(J) will become my slave;^(K) the rest of you will be free from blame.”^(L)

¹¹ Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. ¹² Then the steward^(M) proceeded to search,^(N) beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest.^(O) And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.^{(P) 13} At this, they tore their clothes.^(Q) Then they all loaded their donkeys^(R) and returned to the city.

¹⁴ Joseph was still in the house^(S) when Judah^(T) and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.^{(U) 15} Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done?^(V) Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?^(W)”

¹⁶ “What can we say to my lord?^(X)” Judah^(Y) replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence?^(Z) God has uncovered your servants’^(AA) guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves^(AB)—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.^(AC)”