Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39 Now Joseph(A) had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard,(B) bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.(C)

The Lord was with Joseph(D) so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him(E) and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did,(F) Joseph found favor in his eyes(G) and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household,(H) and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.(I) From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household(J) of the Egyptian because of Joseph.(K) The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.(L) So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care;(M) with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,(N) and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”(O)

But he refused.(P) “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.(Q) No one is greater in this house than I am.(R) My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”(S) 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused(T) to go to bed with her or even be with her.

11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties,(U) and none of the household servants(V) was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak(W) and said, “Come to bed with me!”(X) But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.(Y)

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.(Z) “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew(AA) has been brought to us to make sport of us!(AB) He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.(AC) 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”(AD)

16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story:(AE) “That Hebrew(AF) slave(AG) you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as 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 how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger.(AH) 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison,(AI) the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him;(AJ) he showed him kindness(AK) and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.(AL) 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.(AM) 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s(AN) care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.(AO)

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40 Some time later, the cupbearer(AP) and the baker(AQ) of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry(AR) with his two officials,(AS) the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,(AT) in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard(AU) assigned them to Joseph,(AV) and he attended them.

After they had been in custody(AW) for some time, each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream(AX) the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.(AY)

When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody(AZ) with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”(BA)

“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”(BB)

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?(BC) Tell me your dreams.”

So the chief cupbearer(BD) told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed,(BE) and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

12 “This is what it means,(BF)” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days.(BG) 13 Within three days(BH) Pharaoh will lift up your head(BI) and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.(BJ) 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me(BK) and show me kindness;(BL) mention me to Pharaoh(BM) and get me out of this prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews,(BN) and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”(BO)

16 When the chief baker(BP) saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation,(BQ) he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets(BR) of bread.[a] 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

18 “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days.(BS) 19 Within three days(BT) Pharaoh will lift off your head(BU) and impale your body on a pole.(BV) And the birds will eat away your flesh.”(BW)

20 Now the third day(BX) was Pharaoh’s birthday,(BY) and he gave a feast for all his officials.(BZ) He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker(CA) in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer(CB) to his position,(CC) so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand(CD) 22 but he impaled the chief baker,(CE) just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.(CF)

23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.(CG)

Pharaoh’s Dreams

41 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream:(CH) He was standing by the Nile,(CI) when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat,(CJ) and they grazed among the reeds.(CK) After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.(CL)

He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain,(CM) healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind.(CN) The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up;(CO) it had been a dream.

In the morning his mind was troubled,(CP) so he sent for all the magicians(CQ) and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.(CR)

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.(CS) 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants,(CT) and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.(CU) 11 Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.(CV) 12 Now a young Hebrew(CW) was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard.(CX) We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.(CY) 13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.(CZ)

14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon.(DA) When he had shaved(DB) and changed his clothes,(DC) he came before Pharaoh.

15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it.(DD) But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”(DE)

16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”(DF)

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,(DG) 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.(DH) 19 After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21 But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

22 “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.(DI)

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.(DJ) God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.(DK) 26 The seven good cows(DL) are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.(DM)

28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.(DN) 29 Seven years of great abundance(DO) are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine(DP) will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.(DQ) 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided(DR) by God, and God will do it soon.(DS)

33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man(DT) and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.(DU) 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners(DV) over the land to take a fifth(DW) of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.(DX) 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food.(DY) 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt,(DZ) so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.(EA) 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God[b]?”(EB)

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you,(EC) there is no one so discerning and wise as you.(ED) 40 You shall be in charge of my palace,(EE) and all my people are to submit to your orders.(EF) Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.(EG)

Joseph in Charge of Egypt

41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”(EH) 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring(EI) from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes(EJ) of fine linen(EK) and put a gold chain around his neck.(EL) 43 He had him ride in a chariot(EM) as his second-in-command,[c](EN) and people shouted before him, “Make way[d]!”(EO) Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.(EP)

44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.”(EQ) 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph(ER) the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest(ES) of On,[e](ET) to be his wife.(EU) And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

46 Joseph was thirty years old(EV) when he entered the service(EW) of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance(EX) the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities.(EY) In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea;(EZ) it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.(FA) 51 Joseph named his firstborn(FB) Manasseh[f](FC) and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim[g](FD) and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful(FE) in the land of my suffering.”

53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine(FF) began,(FG) just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine,(FH) the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”(FI)

56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians,(FJ) for the famine(FK) was severe throughout Egypt.(FL) 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph,(FM) because the famine was severe everywhere.(FN)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 40:16 Or three wicker baskets
  2. Genesis 41:38 Or of the gods
  3. Genesis 41:43 Or in the chariot of his second-in-command; or in his second chariot
  4. Genesis 41:43 Or Bow down
  5. Genesis 41:45 That is, Heliopolis; also in verse 50
  6. Genesis 41:51 Manasseh sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for forget.
  7. Genesis 41:52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for twice fruitful.

31 Then they got Joseph’s robe,(A) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.(B) 32 They took the ornate robe(C) back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal(D) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”(E)

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes,(F) put on sackcloth(G) and mourned for his son many days.(H) 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,(I) but he refused to be comforted.(J) “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son(K) in the grave.(L)” So his father wept for him.

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13 No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful;(A) he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear.(B) But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.
  2. 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.
  3. 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.

Judah and Tamar

38 At that time, Judah(A) left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam(B) named Hirah.(C) There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua.(D) He married her and made love to her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.(E) She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.(F) She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah.(G) It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.(H) But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight;(I) so the Lord put him to death.(J)

Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.”(K) But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.(L)

11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law(M) Tamar,(N) “Live as a widow in your father’s household(O) until my son Shelah(P) grows up.”(Q) For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.

12 After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua,(R) died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah,(S) to the men who were shearing his sheep,(T) and his friend Hirah the Adullamite(U) went with him.

13 When Tamar(V) was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”(W) 14 she took off her widow’s clothes,(X) covered herself with a veil(Y) to disguise herself, and then sat down(Z) at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.(AA) For she saw that, though Shelah(AB) had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.

15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute,(AC) for she had covered her face. 16 Not realizing(AD) that she was his daughter-in-law,(AE) he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”(AF)

“And what will you give me to sleep with you?”(AG) she asked.

17 “I’ll send you a young goat(AH) from my flock,” he said.

“Will you give me something as a pledge(AI) until you send it?” she asked.

18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?”

“Your seal(AJ) and its cord, and the staff(AK) in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.(AL) 19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes(AM) again.

20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite(AN) in order to get his pledge(AO) back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute(AP) who was beside the road at Enaim?”

“There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.

22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”

23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has,(AQ) or we will become a laughingstock.(AR) After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”

24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”

Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”(AS)

25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”(AT)

26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I,(AU) since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.(AV)” And he did not sleep with her again.

27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.(AW) 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife(AX) took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist(AY) and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out,(AZ) and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.[a](BA) 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist,(BB) came out. And he was named Zerah.[b](BC)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 38:29 Perez means breaking out.
  2. Genesis 38:30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness.

Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons

In the days when the judges ruled,[a](A) there was a famine in the land.(B) So a man from Bethlehem in Judah,(C) together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while(D) in the country of Moab.(E) The man’s name was Elimelek,(F) his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion.(G) They were Ephrathites(H) from Bethlehem,(I) Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women,(J) one named Orpah and the other Ruth.(K) After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion(L) also died,(M) and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

When Naomi heard in Moab(N) that the Lord had come to the aid of his people(O) by providing food(P) for them, she and her daughters-in-law(Q) prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home.(R) May the Lord show you kindness,(S) as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands(T) and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest(U) in the home of another husband.”

Then she kissed(V) them goodbye and they wept aloud(W) 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands?(X) 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up?(Y) Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter(Z) for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!(AA)

14 At this they wept(AB) aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law(AC) goodbye,(AD) but Ruth clung to her.(AE)

15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law(AF) is going back to her people and her gods.(AG) Go back with her.”

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you(AH) or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go,(AI) and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people(AJ) and your God my God.(AK) 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely,(AL) if even death separates you and me.”(AM) 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.(AN)

19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.(AO) When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred(AP) because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

20 “Don’t call me Naomi,[b]” she told them. “Call me Mara,[c] because the Almighty[d](AQ) has made my life very bitter.(AR) 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.(AS) Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted[e] me;(AT) the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite,(AU) her daughter-in-law,(AV) arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest(AW) was beginning.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:1 Traditionally judged
  2. Ruth 1:20 Naomi means pleasant.
  3. Ruth 1:20 Mara means bitter.
  4. Ruth 1:20 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 21
  5. Ruth 1:21 Or has testified against

Rahab and the Spies

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies(A) from Shittim.(B) “Go, look over(C) the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.(D)” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab(E) and stayed there.

The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab:(F) “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

But the woman had taken the two men(G) and hidden them.(H) She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate,(I) they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”(J) (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax(K) she had laid out on the roof.)(L) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan,(M) and as soon as the pursuers(N) had gone out, the gate was shut.

Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof(O) and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear(P) of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up(Q) the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt,(R) and what you did to Sihon and Og,(S) the two kings of the Amorites(T) east of the Jordan,(U) whom you completely destroyed.[b](V) 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear(W) and everyone’s courage failed(X) because of you,(Y) for the Lord your God(Z) is God in heaven above and on the earth(AA) below.

12 “Now then, please swear to me(AB) by the Lord that you will show kindness(AC) to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign(AD) 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them(AE)—and that you will save us from death.”

14 “Our lives for your lives!”(AF) the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully(AG) when the Lord gives us the land.”

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:10 Or the Sea of Reeds
  2. Joshua 2:10 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah(A)(B)(C)

This is the genealogy[a] of Jesus the Messiah[b] the son of David,(D) the son of Abraham:(E)

Abraham was the father of Isaac,(F)

Isaac the father of Jacob,(G)

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,(H)

Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,(I)

Perez the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,(J)

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of King David.(K)

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,(L)

Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Abijah the father of Asa,

Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

Uzziah the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,(M)

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah,

11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.(N)

12 After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,(O)

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,(P)

13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,

Abihud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

14 Azor the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Akim,

Akim the father of Elihud,

15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,(Q) and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.(R)

17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.(S) 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce(T) her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel(U) of the Lord appeared to him in a dream(V) and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f](W) because he will save his people from their sins.”(X)

22 All this took place to fulfill(Y) what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g](Z) (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel(AA) of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 1:1 Or is an account of the origin
  2. Matthew 1:1 Or Jesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean Anointed One; also in verse 18.
  3. Matthew 1:11 That is, Jehoiachin; also in verse 12
  4. Matthew 1:18 Or The origin of Jesus the Messiah was like this
  5. Matthew 1:19 Or was a righteous man and
  6. Matthew 1:21 Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.
  7. Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14

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