3. At dawn the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4. They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to the man in charge of his house, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you paid me back with evil when I was good to you?
5. Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and that he uses for telling the future? What you have done is evil!’ ”
6. When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.
7. They answered him, “Sir, how can you say such things? We would never think of doing anything like that!
8. We brought the money we found in our sacks back from Canaan. So why would we steal any silver or gold from your master’s house?
9. If one of us has it, he will die, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10. “I agree,” he said. “We’ll do what you’ve said. The man who has the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you can go free.”
11. Each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12. Then the man made a thorough search. He began with the oldest and ended with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13. When they saw this, they tore their clothes in grief. Then each one loaded his donkey and went back into the city.
14. Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house while Joseph was still there. Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground.
15. Joseph asked them, “What have you done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out because he knows the future?”
16. “Sir, what can we say to you?” Judah asked. “How else can we explain it? How can we prove we’re innocent? God has uncovered our guilt. Now all of us are your slaves, including the one who had the cup.”
17. But Joseph said, “I would never think of doing that! Only the man who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you can go back to your father in peace.”
18. Then Judah went up to Joseph and said, “Please, sir, let me speak openly with you. Don’t be angry with me, although you are equal to Pharaoh.
19. Sir, you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20. We answered, ‘We have a father who is old and a younger brother born to him when he was already old. The boy’s brother is dead, so he’s the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
21. “Then you said to us, ‘Bring him here to me so that I can see him myself.’