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Benjamin and the Silver Cup - Bible Story

Joseph's Hospitality to his Brothers

(Genesis 43:15-34)

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall on us, and take us for slaves, and our asses. And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out to them. And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive? And they answered, Your servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom you spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son. And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn on his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one at another. 34And he took and sent messes to them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of their's. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Benjamin and the Silver Cup

(Genesis 44:1-17)

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when you do overtake them, say to them, Why have you rewarded evil for good? Is not this it in which my lord drinks, and whereby indeed he divines? you have done evil in so doing.

And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. And they said to him, Why said my lord these words? God forbid that your servants should do according to this thing: Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of your lord's house silver or gold? With whomsoever of your servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves. And he said, Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and you shall be blameless. Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. And he searched, and began at the oldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done? know you not that such a man as I can certainly divine? And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace to your father.

Judah Pleads for Benjamin

(Genesis 44:18-34)

Then Judah came near to him, and said, Oh my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant: for you are even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father, or a brother? And we said to my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him. And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him. And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. And you said to your servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. And your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons: And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: And if you take this also from me, and mischief befall him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to you, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant abide instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Joseph Reveals his Identity

(Genesis 45:1-8)

Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph; does my father yet live? And his brothers could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

And Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years has the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be ripening nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me here, but God: and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Joseph Sends for his Father

(Genesis 45:9-15)

Haste you, and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus said your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt: come down to me, tarry not: And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you, and your children, and your children's children, and your flocks, and your herds, and all that you have: And there will I nourish you; for yet there are five years of famine; lest you, and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. And you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall haste and bring down my father here. And he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers, and wept on them: and after that his brothers talked with him.

Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt

(Genesis 45:16-24)

And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brothers are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brothers, This do you; lade your beasts, and go, get you to the land of Canaan; And take your father and your households, and come to me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land. Now you are commanded, this do you; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is your's.

And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

So he sent his brothers away, and they departed: and he said to them, See that you fall not out by the way.

The Revival of Jacob

(Genesis 45:25-28)

And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan to Jacob their father, And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.