Genesis 44:9

Easy-to-Read Version

If you find the silver cup in any of our sacks, let that man die. You can kill him, and we will be your slaves."

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondservants."

King James Version
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

Lexham English Bible
Whoever is found with it from among your servants shall die. And moreover, we will become slaves to my lord."

New Century Version
If you find that silver cup in the sack of one of us, then let him die, and we will be your slaves."

New English Translation
If one of us has it, he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves!"

Amplified Bible
"With whomever of your servants your master's cup is found, let him die, and the rest of us will be my lord's slaves."

New American Standard Bible
"With whomever of your servants it is found, he shall die, and we also shall be my lord's slaves."

Geneva Bible (1587)
With whomesoeuer of thy seruants it bee found, let him dye, and we also will be my lordes bondmen.

Legacy Standard Bible
With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

Contemporary English Version
If you find that one of us has the cup, then kill him, and the rest of us will become your slaves."

Complete Jewish Bible
Whichever one of us the goblet is found with, let him be put to death — and the rest of us will be my lord's slaves!"

Darby Translation
With whomsoever of thy servants it is found, let him die; and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

English Standard Version
Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord's servants."

George Lamsa Translation
With whomsoever of your servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be to our lord servants.

Good News Translation
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."

Christian Standard Bible®
If it is found with one of us, your servants, he must die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”

Literal Translation
With whomever it may be found, with him of your servants, he shall die; and we also will become slaves to my lord.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Loke by whom it shall be founde amonge thy seruauntes, let him dye: yee and we also wyll be my lordes bondmen.

American Standard Version
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

Bible in Basic English
If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
With whomsoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde, let him dye, and we also wyll be my Lordes bondmen.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.'

King James Version (1611)
With whom soeuer of thy seruants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lords bondmen.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
With whomsoever of thy servants thou shalt find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord.

English Revised Version
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

Berean Standard Bible
If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
At whom euere of thi seruauntis this that thou sekist is foundun, die he, and we schulen be seruauntis of my lord.

Young's Literal Translation
with whomsoever of thy servants it is found, he hath died, and we also are to my lord for servants.'

Update Bible Version
With whoever of your slaves it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves.

Webster's Bible Translation
With whom [soever] of thy servants it shall be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bond-men.

World English Bible
With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondservants."

New King James Version
With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

New Living Translation
If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves."

New Life Bible
If the cup is found with any of your servants, let him be put to death. And the others of us will be your servants."

New Revised Standard
Should it be found with any one of your servants, let him die; moreover the rest of us will become my lord's slaves."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
With whomsoever of thy servants it can be found, he shall die, - and, we also, will become my lord's servants.

Douay-Rheims Bible
With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.

Revised Standard Version
With whomever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

Contextual Overview

¹ Then Joseph gave a command to his servant. He said, "Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they can carry. Then put each man's money into his sack with the grain. ² Put the youngest brother's money in his sack too. But also put my special silver cup in his sack." So the servant obeyed Joseph. ³ Early the next morning the brothers and their donkeys were sent back to their country. ⁴ After they had left the city, Joseph said to his servant, "Go and follow the men. Stop them and say to them, ‘We were good to you! So why have you been bad to us? Why did you steal my master's silver cup? ⁵ My master drinks from that cup, and he uses it to learn secret things. What you did was wrong!'" ⁶ So the servant obeyed. He rode out to the brothers and stopped them. The servant said to them what Joseph had told him to say. ⁷ But the brothers said to the servant, "Why does the governor say these things? We wouldn't do anything like that! ⁸ We brought back the money that we found in our sacks before. So surely we wouldn't steal silver or gold from your master's house. ⁹ If you find the silver cup in any of our sacks, let that man die. You can kill him, and we will be your slaves." ¹⁰ The servant said, "I agree, except that only the man who is found to have the cup will be my slave. The others will be free."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

both: Genesis 31:32, Job 31:38-40, Psalms 7:3-5, Acts 25:11

and we: Genesis 43:18

Reciprocal: Genesis 42:10 - General Genesis 44:16 - behold

Cross-References

Genesis 31:32
But I did not steal your gods. If you find anyone here with me who has taken your gods, they will be killed. Your men will be my witnesses. You can look for anything that belongs to you. Take anything that is yours." (Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen Laban's gods.)

Genesis 43:18
The brothers were afraid when they were taken to Joseph's house and said, "We have been brought here because of the money that was put back in our sacks the last time. They will use this as proof against us and steal our donkeys and make us slaves."

Genesis 44:3
Early the next morning the brothers and their donkeys were sent back to their country.

Genesis 44:5
My master drinks from that cup, and he uses it to learn secret things. What you did was wrong!'"

Genesis 44:16
Judah said, "Sir, there is nothing we can say. There is no way to explain. There is no way to show that we are not guilty. God has judged us guilty for something else we have done. So all of us, even Benjamin, will be your slaves."

Acts 25:11
If I have done something wrong and the law says I must die, then I agree that I should die. I don't ask to be saved from death. But if these charges are not true, then no one can hand me over to these people. No, I want Caesar to hear my case!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

With whomsoever of thy servants it be found,.... The silver cup:

both let him die; which was rashly said, since they might have thought the cup might be put in one of their sacks unknown to them, as their money had been before; and besides, death was a punishment too severe for such a crime, and therefore is by the steward himself moderated; but this they said the more strongly to express their innocence:

and we also will be my lord's bondmen; his servants, as long as they lived: this was likewise carrying the matter too far, and exceeding all bounds of justice, which could only require satisfaction of the offender.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- The Ten Brothers Were Tested

Joseph has had the satisfaction of seeing his brother Benjamin safe and well. He has heard his brothers acknowledging their guilt concerning himself. He resolves to put their attachment to Benjamin, and the genuineness of their change of disposition, to a test that will at the same time expose Benjamin to no hazard.

Genesis 44:1-5

And my cup. - Besides returning each man’s money as before, a silver cup of Joseph’s is put in Benjamin’s bag, after which, when daylight comes, they are dismissed. They are scarcely out of the town when Joseph’s steward is ordered to overtake them, and charge them with stealing the cup. “And whereby indeed he divineth.” Divining by cups, we learn from this, was a common custom in Egypt (Herodotus ii. 83). It is here mentioned to enhance the value of the cup. Whether Joseph really practised any sort of divination cannot be determined from this passage.

Genesis 44:6-12

The cup is found in Benjamin’s bag. “Spake unto them these words.” The words of Joseph, supplying of course the mention of the cup which is expressed in the text only by the pronoun this. “We brought back to thee.” Silver that we might have retained, and to which you made no claim when we tendered it, we brought back. How or why should we therefore, steal silver? “Now also according to your words let it be.” He adopts their terms with a mitigation. He with whom the cup is found shall become a slave for life, and the rest be acquitted. The steward searches from the oldest to the youngest. The cup is found where it was put.

Genesis 44:13-17

“They rent their garments;” the natural token of a sorrow that knows no remedy. “And Judah went.” He had pledged himself for the safety of Benjamin to his father. And he was yet there; awaiting no doubt the result which he anticipated. “They fell before him on the earth.” It is no longer a bending of the head or bowing of the body, but the posture of deepest humiliation. How deeply that early dream penetrated into the stern reality! “Wot ye not that such a man as I doth certainly divine?” Joseph keeps up the show of resentment for a little longer, and brings out from Judah the most pathetic plea of its kind that ever was uttered. “The God,” the great and only God, “hath found out the iniquity of thy servants;” in our dark and treacherous dealing with our brother. “Behold, we are servants to my lord.” He resigns himself and all to perpetual bondage, as the doom of a just God upon their still-remembered crime. “He shall be my servant; and ye, go up in peace to your father.” Now is the test applied with the nicest adjustment. Now is the moment of agony and suspense to Joseph. Will my brothers prove true? says he within himself. Will Judah prove adequate to the occasion? say we. His pleading with his father augured well.

Verse 18-34

“And Judah came near unto him.” He is going to surrender himself as a slave for life, that Benjamin may go home with his brothers, who are permitted to depart. “Let thy servant now speak a word in the ears of my lord.” There is nothing here but respectful calmness of demeanor. “And let not thine anger burn against thy servant.” He intuitively feels that the grand vizier is a man of like feelings with himself. He will surmount the distinction of rank, and stand with him on the ground of a common humanity. “For so art thou as Pharaoh.” Thou hast power to grant or withhold my request. This forms, the exordium of the speech. Then follows the plea. This consists in a simple statement of the facts, which Judah expects to have its native effect upon a rightly-constituted heart. We will not touch this statement, except to explain two or three expressions. A young lad - a comparative youth. “Let me set mine eyes upon him” - regard him with favor and kindness. “He shall leave his father and he shall die.” If he were to leave his father, his father would die. Such is the natural interpretation of these words, as the paternal affection is generally stronger than the filial. “And now let thy servant now abide instead of the lad a servant to my lord.” Such is the humble and earnest petition of Judah. He calmly and firmly sacrifices home, family, and birthright, rather than see an aged father die of a broken heart.