27. "Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife had two sons by me.
28. One of them went away from me. And I said, "He must have been torn to pieces." I haven't seen him since.
29. What if you take this one from me too and he is harmed? Then you would cause me to die as a sad old man. I would go down into the grave full of pain and suffering.'
30. "So now, what will happen if the boy isn't with us when I go back to my father? His life is closely tied up with the boy's life.
31. When he sees that the boy isn't with us, he'll die as a sad old man. Because of us, he'll go down into the grave full of sorrow.
32. "I promised my father I would keep the boy safe. I said, 'Father, I'll bring him back to you. If I don't, you can put the blame on me for the rest of my life.'
33. "Now then, please let me stay here. Let me be your slave in place of the boy. Let the boy return with his brothers.