Genesis 44:4
New International Version
They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

New Living Translation
But when they had gone only a short distance and were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his palace manager, “Chase after them and stop them. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid my kindness with such evil?

English Standard Version
They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

Berean Standard Bible
They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

King James Bible
And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

New King James Version
When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

New American Standard Bible
They had just left the city, and were not far away, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

NASB 1995
They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

NASB 1977
They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

Legacy Standard Bible
Now they had just gone out of the city and were not far off when Joseph said to his house steward, “Arise, pursue the men; you shall overtake them and say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

Amplified Bible
When they had left the city, and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil [to us] for good [paid to you]?

Christian Standard Bible
They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

American Standard Version
And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
They went out from the city and had not gone far, and Yoseph said to his Custodian, “Arise, chase after the men and overtake them and say to them, ‘Why have you paid evil in place of good?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And when they had gone out of the city, and were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and thou shalt overtake them, and say to them, Why have ye returned evil for good?

Contemporary English Version
But they had not gone far from the city when Joseph told the servant, "Go after those men! When you catch them, say, 'My master has been good to you. So why have you stolen his silver cup?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sendingfor the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?

English Revised Version
And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to the man in charge of his house, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, 'Why have you paid me back with evil when I was good to you?

Good News Translation
When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of his house, "Hurry after those men. When you catch up with them, ask them, 'Why have you paid back evil for good?

International Standard Version
They had not traveled far from the city when Joseph ordered his palace manager, "Get up, follow those men, and when you've caught up with them, ask them, 'Why did you repay evil for good?

JPS Tanakh 1917
And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward: 'Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them: Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

Literal Standard Version
they have gone out of the city—they have not gone far off—and Joseph has said to him who [is] over his house, “Rise, pursue after the men; and you have overtaken them, and you have said to them: Why have you repaid evil for good?

Majority Standard Bible
They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

New American Bible
They had not gone far out of the city when Joseph said to his steward: “Go at once after the men! When you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why did you repay good with evil? Why did you steal my silver goblet?

NET Bible
They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to the servant who was over his household, "Pursue the men at once! When you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil?

New Revised Standard Version
When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to his steward, “Go, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver cup?

New Heart English Bible
When they were far from the city, Joseph said to his manager, "Up, go after the men, and when you overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

Webster's Bible Translation
And when they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, Arise, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say to them, Why have ye rewarded evil for good?

World English Bible
When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good?

Young's Literal Translation
they have gone out of the city -- they have not gone far off -- and Joseph hath said to him who is over his house, 'Rise, pursue after the men; and thou hast overtaken them, and thou hast said unto them, Why have ye recompensed evil for good?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Benjamin and the Silver Cup
3At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 5Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’ ”…

Cross References
Genesis 44:3
At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.

Genesis 44:13
Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.


Treasury of Scripture

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?

Up.

Deuteronomy 2:16
So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,

Wherefore.

1 Samuel 24:17
And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

2 Chronicles 20:11
Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

Psalm 35:12
They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

Jump to Previous
Arise Catch City Cup Distance Evil Far Follow Good House Joseph Little Once Overtake Repaid Rewarded Short Silver Steward Stolen Way Wherefore
Jump to Next
Arise Catch City Cup Distance Evil Far Follow Good House Joseph Little Once Overtake Repaid Rewarded Short Silver Steward Stolen Way Wherefore
Genesis 44
1. Joseph's policy to stay his brothers.
6. The silver cup is found in Benjamin's sack.
14. They are brought before Joseph.
18. Judah's humble supplication to Joseph.
















Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They
הֵ֠ם (hêm)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

had not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

gone
יָֽצְא֣וּ (yā·ṣə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

far
הִרְחִיקוּ֒ (hir·ḥî·qū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7368: To be or become far or distant

from the city
הָעִיר֮ (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

when Joseph
וְיוֹסֵ֤ף (wə·yō·w·sêp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

told
אָמַר֙ (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

his steward,
לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר (la·’ă·šer)
Preposition-l | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

“Pursue
רְדֹ֖ף (rə·ḏōp̄)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

the men
הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֑ים (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

at once,
ק֥וּם (qūm)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

and when you overtake them,
וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם֙ (wə·hiś·śaḡ·tām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5381: To reach, overtake

ask,
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ (wə·’ā·mar·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Why
לָ֛מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

have you repaid
שִׁלַּמְתֶּ֥ם (šil·lam·tem)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7999: To be safe, to be, completed, to be friendly, to reciprocate

good
טוֹבָֽה׃ (ṭō·w·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

with evil?
רָעָ֖ה (rā·‘āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil


Links
Genesis 44:4 NIV
Genesis 44:4 NLT
Genesis 44:4 ESV
Genesis 44:4 NASB
Genesis 44:4 KJV

Genesis 44:4 BibleApps.com
Genesis 44:4 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 44:4 Chinese Bible
Genesis 44:4 French Bible
Genesis 44:4 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 44:4 When they had gone out (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 44:3
Top of Page
Top of Page