Genesis 44

Γένεσις

1 ΚΑΙ ἐνετείλατο ὁ Ἰωσὴφ τῷ ὄντι ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ λέγων· πλήσατε τοὺς μαρσίππους τῶν ἀνθρώπων βρωμάτων, ὅσα ἐὰν δύνωνται ἆραι, καὶ ἐμβάλετε ἑκάστου τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ μαρσίππου

And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack.

2 καὶ τὸ κόνδυ μου τὸ ἀργυροῦν ἐμβάλετε εἰς τὸν μάρσιππον τοῦ νεωτέρου καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ σίτου αὐτοῦ. ἐγενήθη δὲ κατὰ τὸ ρῆμα Ἰωσήφ, καθὼς εἶπε.

And put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said.

3 τὸ πρωΐ διέφαυσε, καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀπεστάλησαν, αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ ὄνοι αὐτῶν.

The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.

4 ἐξελθόντων δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν πόλιν, οὐκ ἀπέσχον μακράν, καὶ Ἰωσὴφ εἶπε τῷ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ· ἀναστὰς ἐπιδίωξον ὀπίσω τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ καταλήψῃ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς· τί ὅτι ἀνταπεδώκατε πονηρὰ ἀντὶ καλῶν; ἱνατί ἐκλέψατέ μου τὸ κόνδυ τὸ ἀργυροῦν;

And when they had gone out of the city, [and] were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and you shall overtake them, and say to them, Why have you⌃ returned evil for good?

5 οὐ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἐν ᾧ πίνει ὁ κύριός μου; αὐτὸς δὲ οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνίζεται ἐν αὐτῷ. πονηρὰ συντετελέκατε, ἃ πεποιήκατε.

Why have you⌃ stolen my silver cup? is it not this out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; you⌃ have accomplished evil in that which you⌃ have done.

6 εὑρὼν δὲ αὐτοὺς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὰ ρήματα ταῦτα.

And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.

7 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· ἱνατί λαλεῖ ὁ κύριος κατὰ τὰ ρήματα ταῦτα; μὴ γένοιτο τοῖς παισί σου ποιῆσαι κατὰ τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο.

And they said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from your servants to do according to this word.

8 εἰ τὸ μὲν ἀργύριον, ὁ εὕρομεν ἐν τοῖς μαρσίπποις ἡμῶν, ἀπεστρέψαμεν πρὸς σὲ ἐκ γῆς Χαναάν, πῶς ἂν κλέψαιμεν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ κυρίου σου ἀργύριον ἢ χρυσίον;

If we brought back to you out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of your lord?

9 παρ᾿ ᾧ ἂν εὕρῃς τὸ κόνδυ τῶν παίδων σου, ἀποθνησκέτω· καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐσόμεθα παῖδες τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.

With whoever of your servants you shall find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord.

10 ὁ δὲ εἶπε· καὶ νῦν ὡς λέγετε, οὕτως ἔσται· παρ᾿ ᾧ ἂν εὑρεθῇ τὸ κόνδυ, ἔσται μου παῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἔσεσθε καθαροί.

And he said, Now then it shall be as you⌃ say; with whoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and you⌃ shall be clear.

11 καὶ ἔσπευσαν καὶ καθεῖλαν ἕκαστος τὸν μάρσιππον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἤνοιξαν ἕκαστος τὸν μάρσιππον αὐτοῦ.

And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack.

12 ἠρεύνησε δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἀρξάμενος, ἕως ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν νεώτερον, καὶ εὗρε τὸ κόνδυ ἐν τῷ μαρσίππῳ τοῦ Βενιαμίν.

And he searched, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

13 καὶ διέρρηξαν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἕκαστος τὸν μάρσιππον αὐτοῦ ἐπί τὸν ὄνον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν.

And they tore their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.

14 εἰσῆλθε δὲ Ἰούδας καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Ἰωσήφ, ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἔπεσον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.

And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him.

15 εἶπε δὲ αὐτοῖς Ἰωσήφ· τί τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο ἐποιήσατε; οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνιεῖται ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οἷος ἐγώ;

And Joseph said to them, What is this thing that you⌃ have done? know you⌃ not that a man such as I can surely divine?

16 εἶπε δὲ Ἰούδας· τί ἀντεροῦμεν τῷ κυρίῳ, ἢ τί λαλήσομεν, ἢ τί δικαιωθῶμεν; ὁ Θεὸς δὲ εὗρε τὴν ἀδικίαν τῶν παίδων σου. ἰδού ἐσμεν οἰκέται τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ παρ᾿ ᾧ εὑρέθη τὸ κόνδυ.

And Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? whereas God has revealed the unrighteousness of your servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been found.

17 εἶπε δὲ Ἰωσήφ· μή μοι γένοιτο ποιῆσαι τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο· ὁ ἄνθρωπος, παρ᾿ ᾧ εὑρέθη τὸ κόνδυ αὐτὸς ἔσται μου παῖς. ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀνάβητε μετὰ σωτηρίας πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν.

And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do you⌃ go up with safety to your father.

18 Ἐγγίσας δὲ αὐτῷ Ἰούδας εἶπε· δέομαι, κύριε· λαλησάτω ὁ παῖς σου ρῆμα ἐναντίον σου, καὶ μὴ θυμωθῇς τῷ παιδί σου, ὅτι σὺ εἶ μετὰ Φαραώ.

And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let your servant speak a word before you, and be not angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharao.

19 κύριε, σὺ ἠρώτησας τοὺς παῖδάς σου, λέγων· εἰ ἔχετε πατέρα ἢ ἀδελφόν;

Sir, you asked your servants, saying, Have you⌃ a father or a brother?

20 καὶ εἴπαμεν τῷ κυρίῳ· ἔστιν ἡμῖν πατὴρ πρεσβύτερος καὶ παιδίον γήρους νεώτερον αὐτῷ, καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπέθανεν, αὐτὸς δὲ μόνος ὑπελείφθη τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτὸν ἠγάπησεν.

And we said to [my] lord, We have a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him.

21 εἶπας δὲ τοῖς παισί σου· καταγάγετε αὐτὸν πρός με, καὶ ἐπιμελοῦμαι αὐτοῦ.

And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.

22 καὶ εἴπαμεν τῷ κυρίῳ· οὐ δυνήσεται τὸ παιδίον καταλιπεῖν τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ· ἐὰν δὲ καταλίπῃ τὸν πατέρα, ἀποθανεῖται.

And we said to [my] lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die.

23 σὺ δὲ εἶπας τοῖς παισί σου· ἐὰν μὴ καταβῇ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν ὁ νεώτερος μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν, οὐ προσθήσεσθε ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου.

But you said to your servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, you⌃ shall not see my face again.

24 ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἀνέβημεν πρὸς τὸν παῖδά σου πατέρα ἡμῶν, ἀπηγγείλαμεν αὐτῷ τὰ ρήματα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.

And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.

25 εἶπε δὲ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν· βαδίσατε πάλιν καὶ ἀγοράσατε ἡμῖν μικρὰ βρώματα.

And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.

26 ἡμεῖς δέ εἴπομεν· οὐ δυνησόμεθα καταβῆναι. ἀλλ᾿ εἰ μὲν ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν ὁ νεώτερος καταβαίνει μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν, καταβησόμεθα· οὐ γὰρ δυνησόμεθα ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν τοῦ νεωτέρου μὴ ὄντος μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν.

And we said, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us.

27 εἶπε δὲ ὁ παῖς σου, ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς· ὑμεῖς γινώσκετε ὅτι δύο ἔτεκέ μοι ἡ γυνή·

And your servant our father said to us, You⌃ know that my wife bore me two [sons];

28 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ εἷς ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, καὶ εἴπατε ὅτι θηριόβρωτος γέγονε, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον αὐτὸν ἄχρι νῦν·

and one is departed from me; and you⌃ said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.

29 ἐὰν οὖν λάβητε καὶ τοῦτον ἐκ τοῦ προσώπου μου καὶ συμβῇ αὐτῷ μαλακία ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ κατάξετέ μου τὸ γῆρας μετὰ λύπης εἰς ᾅδου.

If then you⌃ take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall you⌃ bring down my old age with sorrow to the grave.

30 νῦν οὖν ἐὰν εἰσπορεύωμαι πρὸς τὸν παῖδά σου, πατέρα δὲ ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸ παιδίον μὴ ᾖ μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐκκρέμαται ἐκ τῆς τούτου ψυχῆς,

Now then, if I should go in to your servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this [lad's] life)

31 καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν μὴ ὂν τὸ παιδίον μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν, τελευτήσει, καὶ κατάξουσιν οἱ παῖδές σου τὸ γῆρας τοῦ παιδός σου, πατρὸς δὲ ἡμῶν, μετὰ λύπης εἰς ᾅδου.

—it shall even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, [that] he will die, and your servants will bring down the old age of your servant, and our father, with sorrow to the grave.

32 ὁ γὰρ παῖς σου παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκδέδεκται τὸ παιδίον λέγων· ἐὰν μὴ ἀγάγω αὐτὸν πρὸς σὲ καὶ στήσω αὐτὸν ἐνώπιόν σου, ἡμαρτηκὼς ἔσομαι εἰς τὸν πατέρα πάσας τάς ἡμέρας.

For your servant has received the boy [in charge] from his father, saying, If I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards my father for ever.

33 νῦν οὖν παραμενῶ σοι παῖς ἀντὶ τοῦ παιδίου, οἰκέτης τοῦ κυρίου· τὸ δὲ παιδίον ἀναβήτω μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ.

Now then I will remain a servant with you instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up with his brethren.

34 πῶς γὰρ ἀναβήσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, τοῦ παιδίου μὴ ὄντος μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν; ἵνα μὴ ἴδω τὰ κακά, ἃ εὑρήσει τὸν πατέρα μου.

For how shall I go up to my father, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall my father.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.