1   And Ioseph commanded the steward of his house, saing: Fil their sackes with corne, as much as they can hold: and put the money of euerie one in the top of his sack.

2   And in the sackes mouth ^note of the younger put my siluer cup, and the price which he gaue for the wheat. And it was so done.

3   And when the morning rose, they were dismist with their asses.

4   And they were now departed out of the citie, and had gone forward a little way: then Ioseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, quoth he, and pursew the men: and ouertaking them say to them: Why haue you rendred euil for good?

5   The cup which you haue stollen, is that wherin my lord doth drinke, and wherin he is wont to diuine: you haue done a verie euil thing.

6   He did as he had commanded. And hauing ouertaken them, he spake to them in the same order.

7   Who answered: Why doth our lord speake so, as though thy seruautes had committed so haynous a fact?

8   The money, that we found in the top of our sackes, we recaried to thee from the land of Chanaan: and how foloweth it, that we haue stollen out of thy lordes house, gold or siluer?

9   With whom soeuer of thy seruantes that shal be found, which thou seekest, let

Ioseph. him die, and we wil be the bondmen of our lord.

10   Who said to them: Be it done according to your sentence: with whom soeuer it shal be found, be he my bondman, and you shal be guiltles.

11   Therfore in haste taking downe their sackes vpon the ground, euerie man opened.

12   Which when he had searched, beginning from the elder euen to the youngest, he found the cup in Beniamins sack.

13   But they ^note renting their garments, and loading their asses againe, returned into the towne.

14   And Iudas foremost with his brethren entred in to Ioseph (for he was not yet gone out of the place) and they fel togeather before him on the ground.

15   To whom he said: Why would you doe soe? know you not that there is not the like to me in the science ^noteof diuining.

16   To whom Iudas said: What shal we answere, my lord? or what shal we speake, or be able iustly to pretend? God hath found the iniquitie of thy seruantes: loe we are al bondmen to my lord, both we, & he, with whom the cup was found.

17   Ioseph answered: God forbid that I should so doe: he that stole the cup, the same be my bondman: and goe you free vnto your father.

18   And Iudas approching nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee my lord, let thy seruant speake a word in thine eares, and be not angrie with thy seruant: for after Pharao thou art,

19   my lord. Thou didest aske thy seruantes the first time: Haue you a father or a brother?

20   and we answered thee my lord: We haue a father an old man, and a little boy, that was borne in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and his mother hath him only, and his father loueth him tenderly.

21   And thou saidst to thy seruants: Bring him hither to me, and I wil set myn eyes on him.

22   We suggested to my lord: The boy can not leaue his father: for if he leaue him, he wil die.

23   And thou saidest to thy seruants: Vnlesse your youngest brother come with you, you shal no more see my face.

24   Therfore when we were gone vp to thy seruant our father, we told him al things that my lord did speake.

25   And our father said: Goe againe, and bye vs a litle wheate.

26   To whom we said: We can not goe: if our youngest brother shal goe downe with vs, we wil set forward together: otherwise he being absent, we dare not see the mans face.

27   Wherunto he answered: You know that my wife bare me two.

28   One went forth, and you said: A beast did deuour him: and hitherto he appeareth

Ioseph. not.

29   If you take this also, and ought befal him in the way, you shal bring downe ^note my hoare hayres with sorow vnto hel.

30   Therfore if I shal enter to thy seruant our father, and the boy be wanting (wheras his life dependeth vpon the life of him)

31   and he shal see that he is not with vs, he wil dye, & thy seruants shal bring downe his hoare hayres with sorow vnto hel.

32   Let me be thy proper seruant, that did take him into my protection and promised saying: Vnlesse I bring him againe I wil be guilty of sinne against my father for euer.

33   I therfore thy seruant wil tary in steed of the childe in the seruice of my lord, and let the childe goe vp with his brethren.

34   For I can not returne to my father, the childe being absent; lest I stand by a witnes of the calamitie, that shal oppresse my father.

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