Yubalym (Jubilee) — 43

1 And he did as Ya'asaf had told him and filled all their sacks for them with food and put their money in their sacks and put the cup in Banyamin's sack.

2 And early in the morning they departed, and it came to pass that, when they had gone from thence, Ya'asaf said unto the steward of his house: Pursue them, run and seize them, saying: For my good, you have requited me with evil; you have stolen from me the silver cup out of which my master drinks.

3 And bring back to me their youngest brother and fetch him quickly before I go forth to my seat of judgment. And he ran after them and said unto them according to these words.

4 And they said unto him: Far be it that your servants should do this thing, and steal from the house of your master any utensil, and the money also which we found in our sacks the first time, we your servants brought back from the land of Kana'an.

5 How then should we steal any utensil? Behold here are we and our sacks search, and wherever you find the cup in the sack of any man amongst us, let him be slain, and we and our asses will serve your master.

6 And he said unto them: Not so, the man with whom I find, him only shall I take as a servant, and ye shall return in Shalum unto your house.

7 And as he was searching in their vessels, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, it was found in Banyamin's sack.

8 And they rent their garments, and laded their asses, and returned to the city and came to the house of Ya'asaf, and they all bowed themselves on their faces to the ground before him.

9 And Ya'asaf said unto them: You have done evil. And they said: What shall we say and how shall we defend ourselves? Our master has discovered the transgression of his servants; behold we are the servants of our master, and our asses also.

10 And Ya'asaf said unto them: I too fear 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH; as for you, go you to your homes and let your brother be my servant, for ye have done evil. Know ye not that a man delights in his cup as I with this cup?

11 And yet you have stolen it from me. And Yahudah said: O master, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my master's ear two brothers did your servant's mother bear to our father: one went away and was lost, and has not been found and he alone is left of his mother and your servant our father loves him, and his life also is bound up with the life of this lad.

12 And it will come to pass, when we go to your servant our father, and the lad is not with us, that he will die, and we shall bring down our father with sorrow unto death.

13 Now rather let me, your servant, abide instead of the boy as a bondsman unto my master, and let the lad go with his brethren, for I became surety for him at the hand of your servant our father, and if I do not bring him back, your servant will hear the blame to our father forever.

14 And Ya'asaf saw that they were all accordant in goodness one with another, and he could not refrain himself, and he told them that he was Ya'asaf.

15 And he conversed with them in the Abarym tongue and fell on their neck and wept. And they knew him and they began to weep.

16 And Ya'asaf said unto them: Weep not over me but hasten and bring my father to me; and you see that it is my mouth that speaks and the eyes of my brother Banyamin see.

17 For behold this is the second year of the famine, and there are still five years without harvest or fruit of trees or plowing.

18 Come down quickly you and your households, so that you perish not through the famine and do not be grieved for your possessions, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent me before you to set things in order that many people might live.

19 And tell my father that I am still alive and behold, you see that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has made me as a father to Phar'uh, and ruler over his house and over all the land of Mitzraym.

20 And tell my father of all my Kabad, and all the riches and Kabad that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has given me.

21 And by the command of the mouth of Phar'uh he gave them chariots and provisions for the way, and Ya'asaf gave them all many colored raiment and silver.

22 And to their father he sent raiment and silver and ten asses which carried grain, and he sent them away.

23 And they went up and told their father that Ya'asaf was alive and was measuring out grain to all the nations of the Arath and that he was ruler over all the land of Mitzraym.

24 And their father did not believe it, for he was beside himself in his mind; but when he saw the wagons which Ya'asaf had sent, the life of his ruach revived, and he said: It is enough for me if Ya'asaf lives; I will go down and see him before I die.