¶The .xliiij. Chapter.
1 Ioseph commaundeth his cuppe to be put in the sacke of Beniamin. 4 The cuppe is attached in the sacke of Beniamin. 13 Ioseph accuseth his brethren of theft. 18 The oration of Iudas vnto Ioseph.
[unspec A] 1 AND he commaunded the ruler of his house, saying: fill the mens sackes with foode, as much as they can cary, & put euery mans mo∣ny in his sackesmouth:
2 And put(a) 1.1 my cup, my siluer cup in the sackes mouth of the youngest, and his corne money also. And he did according to the worde that Ioseph had saide.
3 And in the morning assoone as it was lyght, the men were let go, they, and their asses.
4 And when they were out of the citie, and not yet farre away, Ioseph sayde vnto the ruler of his house: vp, and fo∣lowe after the men, & when thou doest ouertake them, thou shalt say vnto them: wherfore haue ye rewarded euyl for good?
5 Is not that the cuppe in the whiche my Lord drinketh? and “ 1.2 for the which he (b) 1.3 consulteth with the propheciers? Ye haue euill done that ye haue done.
6 And when he ouertoke them, he sayd the same wordes vnto them.
7 And they aunswered him: (c) 1.4 wherfore sayeth my Lorde suche wordes? God forbid that thy seruauntes should do so.
8 Beholde the money which we founde [unspec B] in our sackes mouthes, we brought a∣gayne vnto thee, out of the land of Cha∣naan: howe then shoulde we steale out of thy Lordes house eyther siluer or golde?
9 With whomsoeuer of thy seruauntes it be founde, (d) 1.5 let him dye, and we also wyll be my Lordes bondmen.
10 And he said, Nowe also let it be accor∣ding vnto your wordes: he with whom it is founde, shalbe my seruaunt, and ye shalbe blamelesse.
11 And at once euery man toke downe his sacke to the ground, and euery man opened his sacke.
12 And he (e) 1.6 searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cuppe was founde in Beniamins sacke.
13 Then they rent theyr clothes, and la∣ded euery mā his asse, and went againe vnto the citie.
14 And Iuda and his brethren came to [unspec C] Iosephes house (for he [was] yet there) and they fell before him on the ground.
15 And Ioseph sayde vnto them: what deede is this that ye haue done? Wote ye not that suche a man as I “ 1.7 do con∣sult with (f) 1.8 propheciers?
16 Then saide Iuda: what shall we say vnto my lorde? What shall we speake? or howe shall we “ 1.9 cleare our selues?(g) 1.10 God hath founde out the wickednes of thy seruauntes: beholde, we are my lordes seruauntes, both we, yea, and he also with whom the cup is founde.
17 And he aunswered, God forbid that I shoulde do so: but the man with whō the cup is found, he shalbe my seruaunt, and get ye hence vp in peace vnto your father.
18 Then Iuda went vnto him, and said: (h) 1.11 Oh my lorde, let thy seruaunt [I pray thee] speake a worde in my lordes eares, and be not inflamed with wrath agaynst thy seruaunt, “ 1.12 for (i) 1.13 thou art euen as Pharao.
19 My lorde asked his seruauntes, say∣ing: haue ye a father, or a brother?
20 And we aunswered my lorde: we haue a father that is olde, and a young [unspec D] lad, which he begat in his age: and the