1 Un viņš pavēlēja sava nama pārraugam, sacīdams: „Pildi šo vīru barības maisus ar labību, cik viņi var pacelt, un liec ikviena naudu viņa barības maisa virsū.
2 Bet manu kausu, to sudraba kausu, liec jaunākā vīra maisā kopā ar naudu labībai virsū.“ Un viņš darīja, kā Jāzeps bija sacījis.
3 Rītā, tiklīdz gaisma ausa, viņi tika atlaisti, —viņi paši un viņu ēzeļi.
4 Viņi bija iznākuši no pilsētas, bet vēl nebija tālu aizgājuši, kad Jāzeps savam nama pārraugam sacīja: „Celies un dzenies vīriem pakaļ un panāc tos, un tad saki: Kādēļ jūs esat atmaksājuši labu ar ļaunu un paņēmuši manu sudraba kausu?
5 Tas taču ir tas, no kura mans kungs dzej: un no kā viņš mēdz nākotni pareģot? Jūs gan esat ļaunu darījuši, tā darīdami.“
6 Un viņš tos panāca un tiem sacīja šos vārdus.
7 Bet tie tam sacīja: „Kāpēc mans kungs runā tādus vārdus? Lai neviens nedomā, ka tavi kalpi darītu tādu lietu.
8 Lūk, to naudu, ko mēs bijām atraduši savu barības maisu virsgalā, mēs atkal atnesām atpakaļ no Kānaāna zemes. Un kā gan mēs varētu zagt no mūsu kunga nama sudrabu vai zeltu?
9 Pie kura no taviem kalpiem tas tiks atrasts, tam būs mirt, un mēs būsim mūsu kungam par kalpiem.“
10 Un viņš sacīja: „Lai tagad arī notiek tā, kā jūs sakāt; pie kā tas tiks atrasts, tas lai ir man par kalpu, bet jūs būsit brīvi.“
11 Un viņi steidzīgi nolaida ikviens savu barības maisu zemē un atvēra ikviens savu maisu.
12 Bet viņš iesāka pārmeklēt; pie vecākā tas sāka un pie jaunākā tas beidza. Un kauss atradās Benjamīna barības maisā.
13 Un tie saplēsa savas drēbes, uzkrāva maisus katrs savam ēzelim un atgriezās pilsētā.
14 Un Jūda un viņa brāļi gāja Jāzepa namā, jo tas vēl tur bija, un krita viņa priekšā pie zemes.
15 Un Jāzeps sacīja tiem: „Kas tā par lietu, ko jūs esat darījuši? Vai jūs nevarējāt iedomāties, ka tāds vīrs kā es to paredzēdams neparedzēšu?“
16 Tad Jūda sacīja: „Kā lai mēs runājam uz savu kungu, kā lai mēs izskaidrojamies, kā lai mēs taisnojamies? Dievs tavu kalpu grēka darbu ir atklājis, un mēs tagad esam savam kungam kalpi, kā arī tas, pie kura kauss tika atrasts.“
17 Tad viņš sacīja: „Lai nedomā neviens, ka es tā darīšu; tikai tas, pie kura atrasts kauss, būs man par kalpu, bet jūs ejiet ar mieru pie sava tēva.“
18 Tad Jūda piegāja pie viņa un sacīja: „Ak, mans kungs! Kaut tavs kalps drīkstētu runāt tagad kādu vārdu, un mans kungs neiekaistu dusmās par savu kalpu, jo tu taču esi līdzīgs faraonam.
19 Mans kungs vaicāja saviem kalpiem: Vai jums vēl ir tēvs vai brālis?
20 Tad mēs teicām savam kungam: Mums ir tēvs sirmgalvis un jaunākais brālis, kas tam ir dzimis vecumā, bet viņa brālis ir miris; tas vienīgais ir atlicies no viņa mātes, un viņa tēvs to mīl.
21 Tad tu sacīji uz saviem kalpiem: Atvediet to pie manis, un es gribu savām acīm to redzēt.
22 Tad mēs sacījām savam kungam: Zēns nevar atstāt savu tēvu; un ja tas atstāj savu tēvu, tad tas mirs.
23 Un tu sacīji saviem kalpiem: Ja jaunākais neatnāks kopā ar jums, tad jūs turpmāk vairs neredzēsit manu vaigu.
24 Un notika, kad mēs bijām nonākuši pie tava kalpa, mūsu tēva, un bijām izstāstījuši mūsu kunga vārdus,
25 Mūsu tēvs sacīja: Ejiet un pērciet mums labību, mazliet, lai būtu ko ēst.
26 Tad mēs sacījām: Mēs nevaram noiet, ja mūsu jaunākais brālis nav ar mums. Tikai ar viņu mēs iesim. Jo kamēr mūsu jaunākā brāļa nav ar mums, tikmēr mēs nevaram rādīties tā vīra acīs.
27 Tad tavs kalps, mans tēvs, sacīja mums: Jūs zināt, ka mana sieva man divus dēlus dzemdējusi.
28 Un tas pirmais man zudis; un es domāju: tas droši ir ticis saplosīts. Un es to neesmu redzējis līdz šai dienai.
29 Un ja tad jūs arī šo vēl paņemsit projām no manis, un viņam kaut kas notiktu, tad jūs manu sirmo galvu ar sāpēm novestu kapā.
30 Bet tagad, ja es atgriezīšos pie tava kalpa, sava tēva, un tas zēns nebūs kopā ar mums, jo tēva dvēsele ir sietiņ piesieta pie tā,
31 Tad notiks gan, kad tas redzēs, ka zēna nav, ka viņš nomirs, un tavi kalpi būs tie, kas viņa sirmo galvu ar sāpēm noveduši kapā.
32 Jo tavs kalps ir galvojis par šo zēnu, sava tēva priekšā sacīdams: Ja es neatvedīšu to pie tevis, es visu savu mūžu nesīšu vainu sava tēva priekšā.
33 Tad nu lai tavs kalps paliek zēna vietā tev par kalpu pie tevis, mana kunga. Bet zēns lai dodas ar saviem brāļiem mājup.
34 Jo kā gan es varētu aiziet pie sava tēva, zēnam līdzi neesot? Es nevarētu noskatīties bēdās, kādas uzietu manam tēvam.“
The Missing Cup
1 Joseph commanded the servant in charge of his house, “Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's money in the top of his sack. 2 Put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother's sack, together with the money for his grain.” He did as he was told. 3 Early in the morning the brothers were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of his house, “Hurry after those men. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you paid back evil for good? 5 Why did you steal my master's silver cup? It is the one he drinks from, the one he uses for divination. You have committed a serious crime!’”
6 When the servant caught up with them, he repeated these words. 7 They answered him, “What do you mean, sir, by talking like this? We swear that we have done no such thing. 8 You know that we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in the top of our sacks. Why then should we steal silver or gold from your master's house? 9 Sir, if any one of us is found to have it, he will be put to death, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 He said, “I agree; but only the one who has taken the cup will become my slave, and the rest of you can go free.” 11 So they quickly lowered their sacks to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 Joseph's servant searched carefully, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 The brothers tore their clothes in sorrow, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They bowed down before him, 15 and Joseph said, “What have you done? Didn't you know that a man in my position could find you out by practicing divination?”
16 “What can we say to you, sir?” Judah answered. “How can we argue? How can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered our guilt. All of us are now your slaves and not just the one with whom the cup was found.”
17 Joseph said, “Oh, no! I would never do that! Only the one who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back safe and sound to your father.”
Judah Pleads for Benjamin
18 Judah went up to Joseph and said, “Please, sir, allow me to speak with you freely. Don't be angry with me; you are like the king himself. 19 Sir, you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or another brother?’ 20 We answered, ‘We have a father who is old and a younger brother, born to him in his old age. The boy's brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's children still alive; his father loves him very much.’ 21 Sir, you told us to bring him here, so that you could see him, 22 and we answered that the boy could not leave his father; if he did, his father would die. 23 Then you said, ‘You will not be admitted to my presence again unless your youngest brother comes with you.’
24 “When we went back to our father, we told him what you had said. 25 Then he told us to return and buy a little food. 26 We answered, ‘We cannot go; we will not be admitted to the man's presence unless our youngest brother is with us. We can go only if our youngest brother goes also.’ 27 Our father said to us, ‘You know that my wife Rachel bore me only two sons. 28 One of them has already left me. He must have been torn to pieces by wild animals, because I have not seen him since he left. 29 If you take this one from me now and something happens to him, the sorrow you would cause me would kill me, as old as I am.’
30-31 “And now, sir,” Judah continued, “if I go back to my father without the boy, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with me, he will die. His life is wrapped up with the life of the boy, and he is so old that the sorrow we would cause him would kill him. 32 What is more, I pledged my life to my father for the boy. I told him that if I did not bring the boy back to him, I would bear the blame all my life. 33 And now, sir, I will stay here as your slave in place of the boy; let him go back with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I cannot bear to see this disaster come upon my father.”
