Genesis 44:4 nasb — They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, "Up, follow the men; a…

NASB

"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?"

— Genesis 44:4, NASB

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Genesis 44:4 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “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?”

  • ASV

    “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? ”

  • WEB

    “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?”

  • NET

    “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?”

  • DRB

    “And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way: Joseph sending for 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?”

  • BBE

    “And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?”

  • KJVA

    “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?”

Genesis 44 — Context

1

Then he commanded his house steward, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack.

2

"Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph had told him.

3

As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys.

4

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?

5

'Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.'"

6

So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.

7

They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.

Genesis 44:4 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Genesis 44:4 say?
Genesis 44:4 in the NASB reads: “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?”
Where is Genesis 44:4 in the Bible?
Genesis 44:4 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Genesis, chapter 44, verse 4.
Who wrote Genesis?
Genesis is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). Anciently attributed to Moses; many modern scholars view Genesis as a compilation of older oral and written sources finalized in or after the Babylonian exile. It was written c. 1446–1406 BC.
What is the book of Genesis about?
Genesis is the book of beginnings — the origin of the universe, humanity, sin, and the covenant family God chose to bless the nations. It traces creation, the fall, the flood, and the lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, laying the foundation for the rest of Scripture and pointing forward to the redemption that comes through the promised seed.
What are the major themes of Genesis?
Genesis explores themes including Creation, Fall, Covenant, Faith, Family, Promise. These themes shape the meaning and context of Genesis 44:4.
What translation should I read Genesis 44:4 in?
Genesis 44:4 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Genesis 44:4?
Genesis 44:4 reads (NASB): “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?” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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