Genesis 44:32

New Century Version

"I gave my father a guarantee that the young boy would be safe. I said to my father, ‘If I don't bring him back to you, you can blame me all my life.'

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I don't bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

King James Version
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

Lexham English Bible
For your servant is pledged as surety for the boy by my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, then I shall be culpable to my father forever.

New English Translation
Indeed, your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.'

Amplified Bible
"For your servant became security for the young man to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.'

New American Standard Bible
"For your servant accepted responsibility for the boy from my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then my father can let me take the blame forever.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Doubtlesse thy seruant became suertie for the childe to my father, and said, If I bring him not vnto thee againe, then I will beare the blame vnto my father for euer.

Legacy Standard Bible
For your servant became a guarantee for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the sin before my father all my days.'

Contemporary English Version
I promised my father that I would bring him safely home. If I don't, I told my father he could blame me the rest of my life.

Complete Jewish Bible
For your servant himself guaranteed his safety; I said, ‘If I fail to bring him to you, then I will bear the blame before my father forever.'

Darby Translation
For thy servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, then I shall be guilty toward my father all my days.

Easy-to-Read Version
"I took responsibility for the young boy. I told my father, ‘If I don't bring him back to you, you can blame me for the rest of my life.'

English Standard Version
For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.'

George Lamsa Translation
For your servant became surety for the lad to our father, saying, If l do not bring him back to you, then I shall be guilty before my father forever.

Good News Translation
What is more, I pledged my life to my father for the boy. I told him that if I did not bring the boy back to him, I would bear the blame all my life.

Christian Standard Bible®
Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’

Literal Translation
For your servant was surety for the youth with my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, I shall be a sinner against my father all the days.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For I thy seruaunt became suertye for the lad vnto my father, and sayde: yf I brynge him not agayne, I will beare the blame all my lyfe longe.

American Standard Version
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

Bible in Basic English
For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For I thy seruaunt became suretie for the lad before my father, and saide: If I bryng hym not vnto thee agayne, I shal beare the blame vnto my father all my lyfe long.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

King James Version (1611)
For thy seruant became surety for the lad vnto my father, saying, If I bring him not vnto thee, then I shall beare the blame to my father, for euer.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For thy servant has received the boy in charge from his father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, and place him before thee, I shall be guilty towards my father for ever.

English Revised Version
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

Berean Standard Bible
Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy's safety to my father, saying, 'If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Be Y propirli thi seruaunt, which resseyuede this child on my feith, and bihiyte, and seide, If Y schal not brynge ayen hym, Y schal be gilti of synne ayens my fadir in al tyme;

Young's Literal Translation
for thy servant obtained the youth by surety from my father, saying, If I bring him not in unto thee -- then I have sinned against my father all the days.

Update Bible Version
For your slave became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I don't bring him to you, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever.

Webster's Bible Translation
For thy servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, then I will bear the blame to my father for ever.

World English Bible
For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I don't bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

New King James Version
For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, "If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.'

New Living Translation
My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don't bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.'

New Life Bible
For I put myself as trust for the boy to my father. I said, ‘If I do not return him to you, then let the blame be on me forever.'

New Revised Standard
For your servant became surety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame in the sight of my father all my life.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For thy servant, became surety for the lad, while away from my father saying, - If I bring him not unto thee, then will I count myself a sinner against my father all the days.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.

Revised Standard Version
For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame in the sight of my father all my life.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.'

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

Genesis 43:8, Genesis 43:9, Genesis 43:16

Reciprocal: Genesis 42:37 - Slay my Genesis 44:16 - Judah Job 17:3 - put me Proverbs 6:1 - if thou be Hebrews 7:22 - a surety

Cross-References

Genesis 43:16
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant in charge of his house, "Bring those men into my house. Kill an animal and prepare a meal. Those men will eat with me today at noon."

Genesis 44:8
We brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in our sacks. So surely we would not steal silver or gold from your master's house.

Genesis 44:9
If you find that silver cup in the sack of one of us, then let him die, and we will be your slaves."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father,.... Which is another argument used for the release of Benjamin, though he should be detained for him, which he offers to be:

saying, if I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame unto my father for ever; :-.

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.