Heavenly Secrets (Arcana Coelestia), Vol. VIII

GENESIS [N. 5727]

12. And he searched; he began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag.
13. And they rent their garments Tearing one's clothes was a traditional Middle Eastern expression of intense grief, horror, or despair, and laded every one his ass, and returned to the city.
14. And Judah and his brethren entered Joseph’s house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him to the earth.
15. And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? Knew ye not that such a man as I divining divineth? Joseph maintains his persona as an Egyptian official, claiming the power of divination—the practice of seeking supernatural knowledge—to explain how he "discovered" the theft
16. And Judah said, what shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak? and how shall we be justified? God hath found out the iniquity iniquity: a word for sin or gross injustice; here Judah suggests their current predicament is divine punishment for their past treatment of Joseph of thy servants; behold we are servants to my lord, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup was found.
17. And he said, Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be to me a servant; and ye, go ye up in peace to your father.
18. And Judah came near unto him, and said, By me, my lord, let thy servant I pray speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger be kindled against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh Judah acknowledges Joseph's absolute authority, which is second only to the King of Egypt.
19. My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
20. And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old ages old ages: this phrasing reflects the original Latin senectutis, referring to a child born when the father was very old, the youngest; and his brother is dead The brothers still believe Joseph is dead, or are maintaining that story, and he alone is left to his mother, and his father loveth him.
21. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Make him come down unto me, and I will set mine eye upon him.
22. And we said unto my lord, The boy cannot leave his father; and should he leave his father, he will die.
23. And thou saidst unto thy servants, If your youngest brother come not down with you, ye shall see my faces original: facies; a literal translation of the plural form often used in ancient languages to mean "presence" or "countenance" no more.
24. And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25. And our father said, Return ye, buy us a little food.
26. And we said, We cannot go down: if our younger brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man’s faces, and our youngest brother he not with us.