Orthodox Study

Old Testament

Genesis 44

1Now Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying, 'Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.

καὶ ἐνετείλατο Ιωσηφ τῷ ὄντι ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ λέγων πλήσατε τοὺς μαρσίππους τῶν ἀνθρώπων βρωμάτων ὅσα ἐὰν δύνωνται ἆραι καὶ ἐμβάλατε ἑκάστου τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ μαρσίππου

2Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.' So he did according to the word Joseph had spoken.

καὶ τὸ κόνδυ μου τὸ ἀργυροῦν ἐμβάλατε εἰς τὸν μάρσιππον τοῦ νεωτέρου καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ σίτου αὐτοῦ ἐγενήθη δὲ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα Ιωσηφ καθὼς εἶπεν

3As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

τὸ πρωὶ διέφαυσεν καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀπεστάλησαν αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ ὄνοι αὐτῶν

4When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, 'Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

ἐξελθόντων δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν πόλιν οὐκ ἀπέσχον μακράν καὶ Ιωσηφ εἶπεν τῷ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ ἀναστὰς ἐπιδίωξον ὀπίσω τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ καταλήμψῃ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς τί ὅτι ἀνταπεδώκατε πονηρὰ ἀντὶ καλῶν

5Why have you stolen my silver cup? Is not this the cup from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.' '

ἵνα τί ἐκλέψατέ μου τὸ κόνδυ τὸ ἀργυροῦν οὐ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐν ᾧ πίνει ὁ κύριός μου αὐτὸς δὲ οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνίζεται ἐν αὐτῷ πονηρὰ συντετέλεσθε ἃ πεποιήκατε

6So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

εὑρὼν δὲ αὐτοὺς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα

7But they said to him, 'Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing.

οἱ δὲ εἶπον αὐτῷ ἵνα τί λαλεῖ ὁ κύριος κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα μὴ γένοιτο τοῖς παισίν σου ποιῆσαι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο

8Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

εἰ τὸ μὲν ἀργύριον ὃ εὕρομεν ἐν τοῖς μαρσίπποις ἡμῶν ἀπεστρέψαμεν πρὸς σὲ ἐκ γῆς Χανααν πῶς ἂν κλέψαιμεν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ κυρίου σου ἀργύριον ἢ χρυσίον

9With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's servants.'

παρ᾿ ᾧ ἂν εὑρεθῇ τὸ κόνδυ τῶν παίδων σου ἀποθνῃσκέτω καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐσόμεθα παῖδες τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν

10Then he replied, 'Now as you say, so it will be; he with whom it is found shall be my servant, and you shall be blameless.'

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν καὶ νῦν ὡς λέγετε οὕτως ἔσται ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρ᾿ ᾧ ἂν εὑρεθῇ τὸ κόνδυ αὐτὸς ἔσται μου παῖς ὑμεῖς δὲ ἔσεσθε καθαροί

11Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.

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

12So he searched the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

ἠρεύνα δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἀρξάμενος ἕως ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν νεώτερον καὶ εὗρεν τὸ κόνδυ ἐν τῷ μαρσίππῳ τῷ Βενιαμιν

13Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

καὶ διέρρηξαν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἕκαστος τὸν μάρσιππον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ὄνον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν

14So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground.

εἰσῆλθεν δὲ Ιουδας καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Ιωσηφ ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ἐκεῖ καὶ ἔπεσον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν

15Thus Joseph said to them, 'What is this thing you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?'

εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς Ιωσηφ τί τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο ὃ ἐποιήσατε οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνιεῖται ἄνθρωπος οἷος ἐγώ

16Then Judah said, 'What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the wrongdoing of your servants; here we are, my lord's slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.'

εἶπεν δὲ Ιουδας τί ἀντεροῦμεν τῷ κυρίῳ ἢ τί λαλήσωμεν ἢ τί δικαιωθῶμεν ὁ δὲ θεὸς εὗρεν τὴν ἀδικίαν τῶν παίδων σου ἰδού ἐσμεν οἰκέται τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ παρ᾿ ᾧ εὑρέθη τὸ κόνδυ

17But Joseph said, 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my servant. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.'

εἶπεν δὲ Ιωσηφ μή μοι γένοιτο ποιῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρ᾿ ᾧ εὑρέθη τὸ κόνδυ αὐτὸς ἔσται μου παῖς ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀνάβητε μετὰ σωτηρίας πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν

18Then Judah came near to him and said, 'O my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord's hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh.

ἐγγίσας δὲ αὐτῷ Ιουδας εἶπεν δέομαι κύριε λαλησάτω ὁ παῖς σου ῥῆμα ἐναντίον σου καὶ μὴ θυμωθῇς τῷ παιδί σου ὅτι σὺ εἶ μετὰ Φαραω

19My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?'

κύριε σὺ ἠρώτησας τοὺς παῖδάς σου λέγων εἰ ἔχετε πατέρα ἢ ἀδελφόν

20Then we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.'

καὶ εἴπαμεν τῷ κυρίῳ ἔστιν ἡμῖν πατὴρ πρεσβύτερος καὶ παιδίον γήρως νεώτερον αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπέθανεν αὐτὸς δὲ μόνος ὑπελείφθη τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτὸν ἠγάπησεν

21Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.'

εἶπας δὲ τοῖς παισίν σου καταγάγετε αὐτὸν πρός με καὶ ἐπιμελοῦμαι αὐτοῦ

22But we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

καὶ εἴπαμεν τῷ κυρίῳ οὐ δυνήσεται τὸ παιδίον καταλιπεῖν τὸν πατέρα ἐὰν δὲ καταλίπῃ τὸν πατέρα ἀποθανεῖται

23But you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.'

σὺ δὲ εἶπας τοῖς παισίν σου ἐὰν μὴ καταβῇ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν ὁ νεώτερος μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν οὐ προσθήσεσθε ἔτι ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου

24'So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.

ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἀνέβημεν πρὸς τὸν παῖδά σου πατέρα δὲ ἡμῶν ἀπηγγείλαμεν αὐτῷ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ κυρίου

25And our father said, 'Go back and buy us a little food.'

εἶπεν δὲ ἡμῖν ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν βαδίσατε πάλιν ἀγοράσατε ἡμῖν μικρὰ βρώματα

26But we said, 'We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

ἡμεῖς δὲ εἴπαμεν 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 τοῦ νεωτέρου μὴ ὄντος μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν

27Then your servant our father said to us, 'You know my wife bore me two sons;

εἶπεν δὲ ὁ παῖς σου ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὑμεῖς γινώσκετε ὅτι δύο ἔτεκέν μοι ἡ γυνή

28and the one went out from me, and I said, 'Surely he was eaten by a wild animal'; and I have not seen him since.

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ εἷς ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ καὶ εἴπατε ὅτι θηριόβρωτος γέγονεν καὶ οὐκ εἶδον αὐτὸν ἔτι καὶ νῦν

29But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.'

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

30Now therefore, when I come to your servant our father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life,

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

31it will happen, when he sees the lad is not with us, he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν μὴ ὂν τὸ παιδάριον μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν τελευτήσει καὶ κατάξουσιν οἱ παῖδές σου τὸ γῆρας τοῦ παιδός σου πατρὸς δὲ ἡμῶν μετ᾿ ὀδύνης εἰς ᾅδου

32For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my days.'

ὁ γὰρ παῖς σου ἐκδέδεκται τὸ παιδίον παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς λέγων ἐὰν μὴ ἀγάγω αὐτὸν πρὸς σὲ καὶ στήσω αὐτὸν ἐναντίον σου ἡμαρτηκὼς ἔσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας

33Now therefore, let your servant remain instead of the lad as a servant to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.

νῦν οὖν παραμενῶ σοι παῖς ἀντὶ τοῦ παιδίου οἰκέτης τοῦ κυρίου τὸ δὲ παιδίον ἀναβήτω μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν

34For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?'

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

Ask about this

Opens in Study with this context for you to review. Answers require sign-in and access.

In the margin · source text