18 Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, ‘We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.’
19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
20 ‘We beg your pardon, our lord,’ they said, ‘we came down here the first time to buy food.
21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver – the exact weight – in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us.
22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.’
23 ‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.’ Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys.