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Genesis 43:1-15
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1 Now the famine was still severe in the land.
2 So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
3 But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5 But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
6 “Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
8 And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
9 I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
10 If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
12 Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13 Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. -
Genesis 42:25-38
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25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
26 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.
28 “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:
30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
31 But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.
34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”
35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.
36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”
38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” -
Genesis 42:1-24
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1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
2 “Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
5 So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
10 “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
11 We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
12 “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
13 But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
14 Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
17 So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
19 If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
20 Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.
21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
22 And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
24 And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. -
Genesis 41:46-57
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46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.
47 During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully.
48 During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it.
49 So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.
50 Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”
52 And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,
54 the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.
55 When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
56 When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
57 And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth. -
Genesis 41:37-45
/RSS FeedGenesis 41:37-45
37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.
38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
40 You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
41 Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
43 He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.”
45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt. -
Genesis 41:14-36
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14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 “I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
18 when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
19 After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!
20 Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.
21 When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had been before. Then I awoke.
22 In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk.
23 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.
24 And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”
25 At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.
26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning.
27 Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine.
28 It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
29 Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,
30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land.
31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.
32 Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.
33 Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
35 Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities.
36 This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.” -
Genesis 41:1-13
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1 After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,
2 when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
3 After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river.
4 And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up,
5 but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk.
6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind.
7 And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.
8 In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures.
10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard.
11 One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.
12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us individually.
13 And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.” -
Genesis 40:1-23
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1 Some time later, the king’s cupbearer and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt.
2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker,
3 and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined.
4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant. After they had been in custody for some time,
5 both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.
6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught.
7 So he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?”
8 “We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me,
10 and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes.
11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup in his hand.”
12 Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days.
13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer.
14 But when it goes well for you, please remember me and show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh, that he might bring me out of this prison.
15 For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head.
17 In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18 Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days.
19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.”
20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
21 Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.
22 But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation.
23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot all about him. -
Genesis 39:13-23
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13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house,
14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, but I screamed as loud as I could.
15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
16 So Potiphar’s wife kept Joseph’s cloak beside her until his master came home.
17 Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me,
18 but when I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me,” he burned with anger.
20 So Joseph’s master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. While Joseph was there in the prison,
21 the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
22 And the warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care, so that he was responsible for all that was done in the prison.
23 The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. -
Genesis 39:1-12
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1 Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, where an Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and made him prosper in all he did,
4 Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.
5 From the time that he put Joseph in charge of his household and all he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s household on account of him. The LORD’s blessing was on everything he owned, both in his house and in his field.
6 So Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph’s care; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,
7 and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”
8 But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care.
9 No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”
10 Although Potiphar’s wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be near her.
11 One day, however, Joseph went into the house to attend to his work, and not a single household servant was inside.
12 She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.
