Divulge

Joseph interrogates them
Genesis 44:15, Jasher 53:30, Jubilees 43:9a
Joseph said, “What is this you’ve done—taking my silver cup and then leaving? Don’t you know I can divine? I know you took the cup to find out where your brother was in the land.”

Judah speaks on behalf of his brothers
Genesis 44:16, Jasher 53:31, Jubilees 43:9b
Judah replied, “What can we say to my lord? What words can we offer, or how can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered the guilt of your servants. We are now your servants, both we and our donkeys, and the one with whom the cup was found.”

Joseph takes Benjamin and tells the other brothers to leave
Genesis 44:17, Jasher 53:32, Jubilees 43:10
Joseph got up, grabbed Benjamin, and forcefully separated him from the others. He took him into the house and shut the door behind them. Then he ordered his steward to tell the brothers, “This is what the king says: ‘I too fear the Lord. Go in peace to your father. I’ve taken the one in whose hand the cup was found as my servant, because you’ve done evil. Don’t you know how dear a cup is to a man? Just as I cherish this cup, you’ve stolen it from me.’”

Judah pleads with Joseph
Genesis 44:18-34, Jasher 54:1-8, Jubilees 43:11-13
When Judah saw how Joseph was treating them, he went to the door, broke it open, and entered with his brothers to stand before Joseph.

Judah said, “My lord, please let your servant say a word in your ear. Don’t be angry with me, for you are like Pharaoh himself.”

Joseph said, “Speak.”

Judah continued, “My father had 2 sons by one mother. One disappeared and has never been found. The one who remains is deeply loved by our father—his life is tied to the life of this boy. When we first came to you to buy food, you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ We answered, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young son born in his old age. His brother is dead. He’s the only one left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ Then you told us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him.’ We said, ‘The boy can’t leave his father. If he does, his father will die.’ But you said, ‘If your youngest brother doesn’t come with you, you won’t see my face again.’

“So when we returned to our father, we told him what you said. Later, he told us to go back and buy a little more food, and we said, ‘We can’t go unless our youngest brother comes with us, or we won’t be allowed to see the man’s face.’

“Then our father said, ‘You know my wife gave me 2 sons. One went out from me and I said, “Surely he’s been torn to pieces,” and I haven’t seen him since. If you take this one too, and something bad happens to him, you’ll send my gray hairs down to the grave in sorrow.’

“So if I return to my father without the boy—whose life is so bound to his—he will die when he sees the boy is not with us. Then we, your servants, will bring our father’s gray hairs down to the grave in sorrow.

“You accused us of being spies, and we brought Benjamin to you to prove otherwise, and still you toy with us. Please, let me stay instead of the boy as your servant, and let him return with his brothers. I guaranteed his safety to our father, and if I don’t bring him back, I’ll carry the blame forever.

“How can I return to my father without the boy? I couldn’t bear to see the misery that would fall on my father.

“Don’t you know what 2 of my brothers—Simeon and Levi—did to the city of Shechem and to 7 Amorite cities for the sake of our sister Dinah? What do you think they would do now for their brother Benjamin? I am stronger than both of them, and today I would bring war upon you and your land if you don’t return our brother.

“Haven’t you heard what our God did to Pharaoh because of Sarah, our mother, whom he took from our father? God struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues, and Egyptians still talk about it to this day. That’s what God will do to you because of Benjamin, whom you’ve taken from his father, and because of all the trouble you’re causing us today.

“God will remember his covenant with our father Abraham and bring judgment on you, because you’ve broken our father’s heart.

“So please, listen to what I’ve said and send our brother with us, or you and your people will die by the sword. You won’t be able to stand against me.”

Joseph and Judah exchange threats to each other
Jasher 54:9-27
Joseph replied to Judah, “Why are you running your mouth and bragging like strength is on your side? As surely as Pharaoh lives, if I order all my strongest men to fight you, you and your brothers would be buried in the mud.”

Judah shot back, “You and your people should be the ones afraid of me. As the Lord lives, if I draw my sword, I won’t put it away again until I’ve wiped out all of Egypt today—starting with you and ending with your master Pharaoh.”

Joseph responded, “You don’t have a monopoly on strength. I’m stronger and more powerful than you. If you draw your sword, I’ll strike you and all your brothers down.”

Judah said, “If I open my mouth against you, I could swallow you whole. You’d be wiped off the face of the earth and your kingdom would fall with you.”

Joseph said, “If you open your mouth, I’ve got the power to shut it with a stone so you won’t be able to speak another word. Look at all these stones around us—I could take one and jam it into your mouth and break your jaw.”

Judah said, “God is witness that we didn’t come here looking for a fight. Just give us our brother and we’ll leave.”

Joseph replied, “As Pharaoh lives, even if all the kings of Canaan joined forces with you, you still wouldn’t get him from me. Go back to your father—your brother will stay with me as a slave because he stole from the king’s house.”

Judah said, “Why does that matter to you or to the king? The king sends silver and gold out all over the land as gifts or expenses, and yet you still complain about a cup that you planted in our brother’s bag and claim he stole? God forbid Benjamin or any of Abraham’s descendants would ever do something like that—stealing from you or anyone else, whether a king, a prince, or any man. So drop this accusation before the whole world hears that for a little silver, the king of Egypt argued with men and took one of them as a slave.”

Joseph said, “Take the cup and leave. Your brother will stay here as a slave—that’s the sentence for a thief.”

Judah said, “Aren’t you ashamed of what you’re saying—keeping our brother and giving us your cup? Even if you gave us 1,000 times as much, we’d never abandon our brother for silver found in anyone’s possession. We’d rather die first.”

Joseph asked, “Then why did you abandon your other brother and sell him for 20 pieces of silver? Why not do the same to this one?”

Judah replied, “The Lord is witness that we don’t want to fight with you. Just give us our brother and we’ll go peacefully.”

Joseph said, “Even if every king in the land came together, they still wouldn’t be able to take your brother from me.”

Judah asked, “What are we supposed to tell our father when we return without our brother and he’s heartbroken?”

Joseph answered, “Tell your father this: ‘The rope has followed the bucket.’”

Judah said, “You call yourself a king—why speak such nonsense and give such a corrupt judgment? Cursed is the king who’s like you.”

Joseph replied, “There’s nothing corrupt about what I said about your brother Joseph. You all sold him to the Midianites for 20 pieces of silver, then lied to your father and said, ‘A wild beast killed him, Joseph’s been torn to pieces.’”

Judah said, “The fire of Shem burns in my heart. I’ll burn down your entire country!”

Joseph answered, “Your sister-in-law Tamar, who killed your sons, already put out the fire of Shechem.”

Judah said, “If I pull even one hair from my body, I’ll fill all of Egypt with blood.”

Joseph replied, “That’s exactly your way—just like what you did to your brother, whose coat you dipped in blood and gave to your father so he’d think a wild animal killed him.”

Judah demonstrates his strength and then Manasseh mimics him
Jasher 54:28-30
When Judah heard this, he was furious—his anger burned inside him. In front of him was a stone weighing about 400 shekels. In his rage, Judah picked it up with one hand, threw it into the air, caught it with his other hand, then placed it under his legs and sat on it with all his strength until it crumbled into dust from the pressure. Joseph saw this and was terrified. He told his son Manasseh to do the same, and Manasseh picked up another stone and mimicked Judah’s actions. Then Judah said to his brothers, “Don’t let anyone say this man is an Egyptian—by what he just did, he must be from our father’s family.”

Judah asks for Benjamin and Joseph tells them to leave
Jasher 54:31-32
Joseph said, “You’re not the only ones with strength—we’re powerful too. So why act like you’re above us?”

Judah said, “I beg you, send our brother back with us. Don’t destroy your land today.”

Joseph replied, “Go and tell your father that a wild animal devoured him—just like you said about your brother Joseph.”

Judah sends out Naphtali and Joseph sends out Manasseh
Jasher 54:33-38
Judah said to Naphtali, “Hurry, go now and count all the streets of Egypt, then come back and report.”

Simeon added, “Don’t worry about it—I’ll go up to the mountain, grab a huge stone, and level it at every person in Egypt, killing everyone there.”

Joseph overheard everything his brothers were saying, though they didn’t realize he understood them—they assumed he couldn’t speak Hebrew. He was deeply afraid that they might actually destroy Egypt. So he ordered his son Manasseh, “Quick, go gather all the people of Egypt, all the strong warriors, and have them come to me—on horseback, on foot, and with all kinds of musical instruments.” Manasseh followed his orders.

Meanwhile, Naphtali obeyed Judah’s command. Naphtali was incredibly fast—he could run across the tops of wheat stalks without breaking them. He went and counted all the streets of Egypt and found there were 12. He ran back and told Judah, who then said to his brothers, “Get ready! Strap on your swords—we’re going through Egypt, and we won’t leave a single one alive.”

Judah continued, “I’ll take down 3 of the streets by myself. Each of you handle 1.”

As Judah was saying this, the people of Egypt and all their warriors came toward them with every kind of instrument and loud shouting.

The brothers are surrounded and terrified
Jasher 54:39-41
There were 500 cavalrymen, 10,000 foot soldiers, and 400 men trained to fight bare-handed without sword or spear—just using their strength. They came in a massive wave, shouting, and completely surrounded the sons of Jacob, terrifying them. The ground shook from their cries. When the sons of Jacob saw the army, they were deeply afraid for their lives. Joseph had done this on purpose to scare his brothers into calming down.

Judah attacks and the people retreat
Jasher 54:42-45
When Judah saw some of his brothers getting scared, he said, “Why are you afraid when God’s favor is with us?”

He realized that all these Egyptians were there because of Joseph’s command to scare them, but Joseph had also instructed them, “Don’t touch any of them.”

Then Judah sprang into action—he drew his sword and let out a fierce, bitter roar. He struck with his sword, jumped to the ground, and kept shouting at everyone. The Lord caused Judah’s and his brothers’ terrifying presence to fall upon the Egyptians and their warriors. Everyone panicked and ran in fear, stumbling over each other. Many were trampled and died, and the rest fled from Judah, his brothers, and even Joseph.

Judah returns to Joseph and shrieks
Jasher 54:46-47
While the Egyptians were fleeing, Judah and his brothers chased them all the way to Pharaoh’s house. After they returned, Judah sat down in front of Joseph again and roared at him like a lion, letting out a massive, thunderous scream. The shriek echoed far and wide—everyone in Succoth heard it, and all of Egypt shook. The quake brought down the walls of Egypt and Goshen, and Pharaoh fell off his throne. Every pregnant woman in Egypt and Goshen miscarried out of sheer terror from the shaking.

Pharaoh inquiries about what is happening and tells Joseph to let Benjamin go
Jasher 54:48-52
Pharaoh sent messengers asking, “What on earth just happened in Egypt today?”

They reported everything to him from beginning to end. Pharaoh was shocked, deeply disturbed, and terrified. His fear grew even more after hearing the full account. He sent word to Joseph, saying, “You’ve brought these Hebrews here just to destroy Egypt! What are you planning to do with that so-called thief? Let him go—send him away with his brothers! Don’t bring ruin on all of us—you, me, and all of Egypt. And if you refuse, then take everything valuable I’ve given you, leave with them, and go to their land if that’s what you want. If they can do this just by yelling and speaking, imagine what they’ll do with swords. They’ll wipe out the whole land! So make your choice—me or them, Egypt or the land of the Hebrews.”

When they delivered Pharaoh’s message to Joseph, he was extremely afraid. Judah and his brothers still stood before him, furious and filled with rage. All the sons of Jacob roared at Joseph like crashing waves, and Joseph was terrified—both of them and of Pharaoh. He began looking for a way to reveal himself to his brothers before they ended up destroying all of Egypt.

Manasseh calms Judah down
Jasher 54:53-54
Joseph told his son Manasseh to go over to Judah. Manasseh approached him and placed his hand on Judah’s shoulder, and Judah’s anger calmed down. Then Judah said to his brothers, “Don’t let any of you think this was done by some Egyptian youth—this comes from my father’s house.”

Joseph questions Judah
Jasher 54:55-68
When Joseph saw that Judah’s anger had settled, he stepped forward and spoke to him in a gentle tone. He said, “You’ve spoken the truth today and proven what you said about your strength. May your God, who clearly delights in you, continue to bless you. But tell me honestly—why are you the only one among your brothers who’s arguing with me about the boy? None of the others have said a word to me about him.”

Judah replied, “You must know I promised our father I’d be responsible for the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back, I’ll carry the blame forever.’ That’s why I’ve stepped forward—because I saw you weren’t going to let him go. So please, let me find favor in your eyes and send him back with us. I’ll stay in his place and serve you however you want. Wherever you send me, I’ll go and serve with all my strength. Send me to a powerful king who’s rebelled against you, and you’ll see what I’ll do to him and his land. Even if he has cavalry, infantry, or a huge army, I’ll destroy them and bring you the king’s head. Haven’t you heard what our father Abraham did with his servant Eliezer? They attacked and defeated all the kings of Elam and their armies in one night—not one survived. Since that day, that strength has been passed down to us and our descendants forever.”

Joseph answered, “You’re right—there’s no lie in your words. We’ve also heard that the Hebrews are powerful and that the Lord their God favors them. Who could stand against such people? But I’ll release your brother under one condition: bring me his other brother—the one you said went down to Egypt. When you bring him to me, I’ll take him in this one’s place, since none of you made yourselves responsible for him to your father. Once he comes to me, I’ll send back the brother for whom you gave your word.”

Judah became furious when Joseph said this. His eyes burned with anger and even bled, and he said to his brothers, “How can this man be asking for his own destruction—and all of Egypt’s—right now?”

Then Simeon said to Joseph, “Didn’t we already tell you we didn’t know where he went, or whether he’s alive or dead? Why are you talking like this?”

Joseph noticed Judah’s expression and saw his anger rising when he mentioned, “Bring me your other brother instead of this one.”

So Joseph turned to his brothers and said, “You claimed your brother was either dead or lost. But what if I called him right now and he showed up in front of you? Would you give him to me in place of this brother?”

Then Joseph started to speak out: “Joseph, Joseph, come here today. Stand before me and appear to your brothers. Sit with them.”

When Joseph said this, the brothers looked around in every direction, trying to see where this ‘Joseph’ would come from.

Joseph asks everyone else to leave so he can reveal himself to his brothers
Genesis 45:1-6, Jasher 54:69-70, Jubilees 43:14-17
Joseph could see they were united and sincere with each other. He couldn’t hold back his emotions anymore in front of everyone standing around, so he shouted, “Everyone, leave me!”

No one stayed with him while he revealed himself to his brothers. He broke down and wept so loudly that the Egyptians and even Pharaoh’s household could hear it.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I’m Joseph. Is my father still alive?”

His brothers couldn’t respond—they were shocked and overwhelmed by his presence.

Joseph watched their reactions and said, “Why are you all looking around? I’m Joseph—the one you sold into Egypt. But don’t be upset or angry with yourselves for doing that, because God sent me ahead of you to save lives during this famine.”

His brothers were terrified when they heard Joseph’s words—especially Judah, who was deeply shaken.

They didn’t recognize him, and they started crying. But Joseph said, “Don’t cry over me. Just hurry and bring my father to me. You can see it’s really me talking, and Benjamin sees it too. Look—this is the 2nd year of the famine. There are still 5 more years to come with no harvest, no fruit from trees, and no plowing.”

Joseph reveals his purpose
Genesis 45:7-8, Jubilees 43:18
“Come down quickly—you and your whole household—so you don’t die from the famine. Don’t worry about your belongings, because the Lord sent me ahead of you to prepare and make sure many people would survive. So it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God. He’s made me a father to Pharaoh, ruler of his entire household, and governor over all the land of Egypt.”