A Silver Cup in a Sack

44 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house:^(A) “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.^{(B) 2} Then put my cup,^(C) the silver one,^(D) in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.

³ As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.^{(E) 4} They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward,^(F) “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?^{(G) 5} Isn’t this the cup^(H) my master drinks from and also uses for divination?^(I) This is a wicked thing you have done.’”

⁶ When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. ⁷ But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants^(J) to do anything like that!^{(K) 8} We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan^(L) the silver^(M) we found inside the mouths of our sacks.^(N) So why would we steal^(O) silver or gold from your master’s house? ⁹ If any of your servants^(P) is found to have it, he will die;^(Q) and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.^(R)”

¹⁰ “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it^(S) will become my slave;^(T) the rest of you will be free from blame.”^(U)

¹¹ Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. ¹² Then the steward^(V) proceeded to search,^(W) beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest.^(X) And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.^{(Y) 13} At this, they tore their clothes.^(Z) Then they all loaded their donkeys^(AA) and returned to the city.

¹⁴ Joseph was still in the house^(AB) when Judah^(AC) and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.^{(AD) 15} Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done?^(AE) Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?^(AF)”

¹⁶ “What can we say to my lord?^(AG)” Judah^(AH) replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence?^(AI) God has uncovered your servants’^(AJ) guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves^(AK)—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.^(AL)”

¹⁷ But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing!^(AM) Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave.^(AN) The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”^(AO)

¹⁸ Then Judah^(AP) went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,^(AQ) let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry^(AR) with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. ¹⁹ My lord asked his servants,^(AS) ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’^{(AT) 20} And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age.^(AU) His brother is dead,^(AV) and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’^(AW)

²¹ “Then you said to your servants,^(AX) ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’^{(AY) 22} And we said to my lord,^(AZ) ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’^{(BA) 23} But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’^{(BB) 24} When we went back to your servant my father,^(BC) we told him what my lord^(BD) had said.^(BE)

²⁵ “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’^{(BF) 26} But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’^(BG)

²⁷ “Your servant my father^(BH) said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.^{(BI) 28} One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.”^(BJ) And I have not seen him since.^{(BK) 29} If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave^(BL) in misery.’^(BM)

³⁰ “So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father,^(BN) and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life,^{(BO) 31} sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die.^(BP) Your servants^(BQ) will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave^(BR) in sorrow. ³² Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’^(BS)

³³ “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave^(BT) in place of the boy,^(BU) and let the boy return with his brothers. ³⁴ How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery^(BV) that would come on my father.”^(BW)

Psalm 9^[a][b]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

1 Simon Peter, a servant^(A) and apostle of Jesus Christ,^(B)

To those who through the righteousness^(C) of our God and Savior Jesus Christ^(D) have received a faith as precious as ours:

² Grace and peace be yours in abundance^(E) through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.^(F)

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

³ His divine power^(G) has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him^(H) who called us^(I) by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,^(J) so that through them you may participate in the divine nature,^(K) having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.^(L)

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;^{(M) 6} and to knowledge, self-control;^(N) and to self-control, perseverance;^(O) and to perseverance, godliness;^{(P) 7} and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.^{(Q) 8} For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive^(R) in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(S) 9} But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,^(T) forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.^(U)

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters,^[a] make every effort to confirm your calling^(V) and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,^{(W) 11} and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom^(X) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(Y)

Prophecy of Scripture

¹² So I will always remind you of these things,^(Z) even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth^(AA) you now have. ¹³ I think it is right to refresh your memory^(AB) as long as I live in the tent of this body,^{(AC) 14} because I know that I will soon put it aside,^(AD) as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.^{(AE) 15} And I will make every effort to see that after my departure^(AF) you will always be able to remember these things.

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,^(AG) but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.^{(AH) 17} He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”^{[b](AI) 18} We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.^(AJ)

¹⁹ We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable,^(AK) and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light^(AL) shining in a dark place, until the day dawns^(AM) and the morning star^(AN) rises in your hearts.^{(AO) 20} Above all, you must understand^(AP) that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God^(AQ) as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.^(AR)

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets^(AS) among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.^(AT) They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord^(AU) who bought them^(AV)—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct^(AW) and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³ In their greed^(AX) these teachers will exploit you^(AY) with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned,^(AZ) but sent them to hell,^[c] putting them in chains of darkness^[d] to be held for judgment;^{(BA) 5} if he did not spare the ancient world^(BB) when he brought the flood on its ungodly people,^(BC) but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;^{(BD) 6} if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes,^(BE) and made them an example^(BF) of what is going to happen to the ungodly;^{(BG) 7} and if he rescued Lot,^(BH) a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless^{(BI) 8} (for that righteous man,^(BJ) living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— ⁹ if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials^(BK) and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.^{(BL) 10} This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire^(BM) of the flesh^[e] and despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;^{(BN) 11} yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from^[f] the Lord.^{(BO) 12} But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.^(BP)

¹³ They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight.^(BQ) They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.^{[g](BR) 14} With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce^(BS) the unstable;^(BT) they are experts in greed^(BU)—an accursed brood!^{(BV) 15} They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam^(BW) son of Bezer,^[h] who loved the wages of wickedness. ¹⁶ But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.^(BX)

¹⁷ These people are springs without water^(BY) and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.^{(BZ) 18} For they mouth empty, boastful words^(CA) and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping^(CB) from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”^{(CC) 20} If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing^(CD) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ^(CE) and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.^{(CF) 21} It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.^{(CG) 22} Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”^[i](CH) and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

The Day of the Lord

3 Dear friends,^(CI) this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders^(CJ) to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. ² I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets^(CK) and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.^(CL)

³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days^(CM) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.^{(CN) 4} They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?^(CO) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”^{(CP) 5} But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word^(CQ) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.^{(CR) 6} By these waters also the world of that time^(CS) was deluged and destroyed.^{(CT) 7} By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,^(CU) being kept for the day of judgment^(CV) and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.^{(CW) 9} The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,^(CX) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient^(CY) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.^(CZ)

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.^(DA) The heavens will disappear with a roar;^(DB) the elements will be destroyed by fire,^(DC) and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[j](DD)

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward^(DE) to the day of God and speed its coming.^[k](DF) That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.^{(DG) 13} But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,^(DH) where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless^(DI) and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience^(DJ) means salvation,^(DK) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.^{(DL) 16} He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable^(DM) people distort,^(DN) as they do the other Scriptures,^(DO) to their own destruction.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard^(DP) so that you may not be carried away by the error^(DQ) of the lawless^(DR) and fall from your secure position.^{(DS) 18} But grow in the grace^(DT) and knowledge^(DU) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(DV) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.^(DW)