# Why does my master speak such words as these? Here "words" stands for what was said. The brothers refer to the steward as "my master." This is a formal way of speaking to someone with greater authority. It can be stated in the second person. Alternate translation: "Why are you saying this, my master?" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person]]) # Far be it from your servants that they would do such a thing. The brothers refer to themselves as "your servants" and "they." This is a formal way of speaking to someone with greater authority. Alternate translation: "We would never do such a thing!" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-123person]]) # Far be it from your servants Something that a person would never do is spoken of as if it were an object that person wants to put very far from himself. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])