silver cup. Of course they felt their innocence and
protested it; but it was of no avail, although they declared that if the
cup should be found in any one of their sacks, he in whose sack it
might be should die for the offence. The steward took them at their
word, proceeded to search the sacks, and lo! what was their surprise and
grief to see that the cup was found in Benjamin's sack! They rent their
clothes in utter despair, and returned to the city. Joseph received them
austerely, and declared that Benjamin should be retained in Egypt as his
servant, or slave. Then Judah, forgetting in whose presence he was, cast
aside all fear, and made the most eloquent and plaintive speech recorded
in the Bible, offering to remain in Benjamin's place as a slave, for how
could he face his father, who would surely die of grief at the loss of
his favorite child.

Joseph could refrain his feelings no longer. He made every attendant
leave his presence, and then declared himself to his brothers, whom God
had sent to Egypt to be the means of saving their lives. The brothers,
conscience stricken and ashamed, completely humbled and afraid, could
not answer his questions. Then Joseph tenderly, in their own language,
begged them to come near, and explained to them that it was not they who
sent him to Egypt, but God, to work out a great deliverance to their
posterity, and to be a father to Pharaoh himself, inasmuch as the famine
was to continue five years longer. "Haste ye, and go up to my father,
and say unto him that God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down
unto me, and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen near unto me, thou
and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks and thy
herds, and all that thou hast, and there will I nourish thee. And ye
shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have
seen; and ye shall haste, and bring down my father hither." And he fell
on Benjamin's neck and wept, and kissed all his brothers. They then
talked with him without further reserve.

The news that Joseph's brethren had come to Egypt pleased Pharaoh, so
grateful was the King for the preservation of his kingdom. He could not
do enough for such a benefactor. "Say to thy brethren, lade your beasts
and go, and take your father and your households, and come unto me; and
I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat
of the land." And the King commanded them to take his wagons to
transpor