53 SECOND TRIP TO EGYPT
Yacob's Sons again go to Egypt for Bread. Benjamin is presented before Yoseph. Yoseph's Cup. Yoseph's conduct towards Benjamin by which he makes himself known to him. Resolves to prove his Brethren by taking away Benjamin from them, and puts his Cup in Benjamin's sack of corn and sends them Home to their Father. An Officer is sent after them who accuses them of purloining his Master's Cup. Brings them back to Yoseph. Benjamin is taken from them by force, and they are told to go on their way.
1 And the sons of Yacob rose up and took Benjamin and the whole of the presents, and they went and came to Egypt and they stood before Yoseph.
2 And Yoseph beheld his brother Benjamin with them and he saluted them, and these men came to Yoseph's house.
3 And Yoseph commanded the superintendent of his house to give to his brethren to eat, and he did so unto them.
4 And at noon time Yoseph sent for the men to come before him with Benjamin, and the men told the superintendent of Yoseph's house concerning the silver that was returned in their sacks, and he said unto them, It will be well with you, fear not, and he brought their brother Simeon unto them.
5 And Simeon said unto his brethren, The lord of the Egyptians has acted very kindly unto me, he did not keep me bound, as you saw with your eyes, for when you went out from the city he let me free and dealt kindly with me in his house.
6 And Yahudah took Benjamin by the hand, and they came before Yoseph, and they bowed down to him to the ground.
7 And the men gave the present unto Yoseph and they all sat before him, and Yoseph said unto them, Is it well with you, is it well with your children, is it well with your aged father? and they said, It is well, and Yahudah took the record which Yacob had sent and gave it into the hand of Yoseph.
8 And Yoseph read the letter and knew his father's writing, and he wished to weep and he went into an inner room and he wept a great weeping; and he went out.
9 And he lifted up his eyes and beheld his brother Benjamin, and he said, Is this your brother of whom you spoke unto me? And Benjamin approached Yoseph, and Yoseph placed his hand upon his head and he said unto him, May YAHWEH be merciful unto you my son.
10 And when Yoseph saw his brother, the son of his mother, he again wished to weep, and he entered the chamber, and he wept there, and he washed his face, and went out and refrained from weeping, and he said, Prepare food.
11 And Yoseph had a cup from which he drank, and it was of silver beautifully inlaid with onyx stones and bdellium, and Yoseph struck the cup in the sight of his brethren while they were sitting to eat with him.
12 And Yoseph said unto the men, I know by this cup that Reuben the first born, Simeon and Levi and Yahudah, Issachar and Zebulun are children from one mother, seat yourselves to eat according to your births.
13 And he also placed the others according to their births, and he said, I know that this your youngest brother has no brother, and I, like him, have no brother, he shall therefore sit down to eat with me.
14 And Benjamin went up before Yoseph and sat upon the throne, and the men beheld the acts of Yoseph, and they were astonished at them; and the men ate and drank at that time with Yoseph, and he then gave presents unto them, and Yoseph gave one gift unto Benjamin, and Manasseh and Ephraim saw the acts of their father, and they also gave presents unto him, and Osnath gave him one present, and they were five presents in the hand of Benjamin.
15 And Yoseph brought them out wine to drink, and they would not drink, and they said, From the day on which Yoseph was lost we have not drunk wine, nor eaten any delicacies.
16 And Yoseph swore unto them, and he pressed them hard, and they drank plentifully with him on that day, and Yoseph afterward turned to his brother Benjamin to speak with him, and Benjamin was still sitting upon the throne before Yoseph.
17 And Yoseph said unto him, Have you begotten any children? and he said, Your servant has ten sons, and these are their names, Bela, Becher, Ashbal, Gera, Naaman, Achi, Rosh, Mupim, Chupim, and Ord, and I called their names after my brother whom I have not seen.
18 And he ordered them to bring before him his map of the stars, whereby Yoseph knew all the times, and Yoseph said unto Benjamin, I have heard that the Hebrews are acquainted with all wisdom, did you know anything of this?
19 And Benjamin said, Your servant is knowing also in all the wisdom which my father taught me, and Yoseph said unto Benjamin, Look now at this instrument and understand where your brother Yoseph is in Egypt, who you said went down to Egypt.
20 And Benjamin beheld that instrument with the map of the stars of heaven, and he was wise and looked therein to know where his brother was, and Benjamin divided the whole land of Egypt into four divisions, and he found that he who was sitting upon the throne before him was his brother Yoseph, and Benjamin wondered greatly, and when Yoseph saw that his brother Benjamin was so much astonished, he said unto Benjamin, What have you seen, and why are you astonished?
21 And Benjamin said unto Yoseph, I can see by this that Yoseph my brother sits here with me upon the throne, and Yoseph said unto him, I am Yoseph your brother, reveal not this thing unto your brethren; behold I will send you with them when they go away, and I will command them to be brought back again into the city, and I will take you away from them.
22 And if they dare their lives and fight for you, then shall I know that they have repented of what they did unto me, and I will make myself known to them, and if they forsake you when I take you, then shalt you remain with me, and I will wrangle with them, and they shall go away, and I will not become known to them.
23 At that time Yoseph commanded his officer to fill their sacks with food, and to put each man's money into his sack, and to put the cup in the sack of Benjamin, and to give them provision for the road, and they did so unto them.
24 And on the next day the men rose up early in the morning, and they loaded their asses with their corn, and they went forth with Benjamin, and they went to the land of Canaan with their brother Benjamin.
25 They had not gone far from Egypt when Yoseph commanded him that was set over his house, saying, Rise, pursue these men before they get too far from Egypt, and say unto them, Why have you stolen my master's cup?
26 And Yoseph's officer rose up and he reached them, and he spoke unto them all the words of Yoseph; and when they heard this thing they became exceedingly wroth, and they said, He with whom your master's cup shall be found shall die, and we will also become slaves.
27 And they hastened and each man brought down his sack from his ass, and they looked in their bags and the cup was found in Benjamin's bag, and they all tore their garments and they returned to the city, and they smote Benjamin in the road, continually smiting him until he came into the city, and they stood before Yoseph.
28 And Yahudah's anger was kindled, and he said, This man has only brought me back to destroy Egypt this day.
29 And the men came to Yoseph's house, and they found Yoseph sitting upon his throne, and all the mighty men standing at his right and left.
30 And Yoseph said unto them, What is this act that you have done, that you took away my silver cup and went away? but I know that you took my cup in order to know thereby in what part of the land your brother was.
31 And Yahudah said, What shall we say to our lord, what shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, YAHWEH has this day found the iniquity of all your servants, therefore has he done this thing to us this day.
32 And Yoseph rose up and caught hold of Benjamin and took him from his brethren with violence, and he came to the house and locked the door at them, and Yoseph commanded him that was set over his house that he should say unto them, Thus saith the king, Go in peace to your father, behold I have taken the man in whose hand my cup was found.