Genesis 44:24

New Century Version

So we went back to our father and told him what you had said.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
It happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

King James Version
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Lexham English Bible
And it happened that we went up to your servant, my father, and told him the words of my lord.

New English Translation
When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Amplified Bible
"So when we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

New American Standard Bible
"So it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So when we came vnto thy seruant our father, and shewed him what my lord had sayd,

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus it happened that when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Contemporary English Version
So we returned to our father and reported what you had said.

Complete Jewish Bible
We went up to your servant my father and told him what my lord had said;

Darby Translation
And it came to pass when we came up to thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Easy-to-Read Version
So we went back to our father and told him what you said.

English Standard Version
"When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

George Lamsa Translation
And when we came up to your servant our father, we told him the words of my lord.

Good News Translation
"When we went back to our father, we told him what you had said.

Christian Standard Bible®
“This is what happened when we went back to your servant my father: We reported to him the words of my lord.

Literal Translation
And it happened, when we had gone up to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then wente we vp vnto thy seruaunt my father, and tolde him my lordes wordes.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Bible in Basic English
And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when we came vnto thy seruaunt our father, we shewed hym the wordes of my Lorde.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe when wee came vp vnto thy seruant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass, when we went up to thy servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Berean Standard Bible
Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor whanne we hadden stied to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, we telden to hym alle thingis whiche my lord spak; and oure fadir seide,

Young's Literal Translation
`And it cometh to pass, that we have come up unto thy servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord;

Update Bible Version
And it came to pass when we came up to your slave my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, when we came to thy servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord.

World English Bible
It happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

New King James Version
"So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.

New Living Translation
"So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said.

New Life Bible
"When we returned to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

New Revised Standard
When we went back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So it came to pass when we had gone up unto thy servant, my father, that we told him the words of my lord.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

Revised Standard Version
When we went back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord.

THE MESSAGE
"When we returned to our father, we told him everything you said to us. So when our father said, ‘Go back and buy some more food,' we told him flatly, ‘We can't. The only way we can go back is if our youngest brother is with us. We aren't allowed to even see the man if our youngest brother doesn't come with us.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ Then Judah went to Joseph and said, "Master, please let me speak plainly to you, and please don't be angry with me. I know that you are as powerful as the king of Egypt himself. ¹⁹ When we were here before, you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?' ²⁰ And we answered you, ‘We have an old father. And we have a younger brother, who was born when our father was old. This youngest son's brother is dead, so he is the only one of his mother's children left alive, and our father loves him very much.' ²¹ Then you said to us, ‘Bring that brother to me. I want to see him.' ²² And we said to you, ‘That young boy cannot leave his father, because if he leaves him, his father would die.' ²³ But you said to us, ‘If you don't bring your youngest brother, you will not be allowed to see me again.' ²⁴ So we went back to our father and told him what you had said. ²⁵ "Later, our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little more food.' ²⁶ We said to our father, ‘We cannot go without our youngest brother. Without our youngest brother, we will not be allowed to see the governor.' ²⁷ Then my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife Rachel gave me two sons.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

we told him: Genesis 42:29-34

Cross-References

Genesis 44:29
Now you want to take this son away from me also. But something terrible might happen to him, and I would be miserable until the day I die.'

Genesis 44:34
I cannot go back to my father if the boy is not with me. I couldn't stand to see my father that sad."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, when we came unto thy servant my father,.... In the land of Canaan:

we told him the words of my lord; what he had said to them, particularly respecting Benjamin.

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.