^9 (A)The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise ^(B)as some count slowness, but ^(C)is patient toward you,^{[a] (D)}not wishing that any should perish, but ^(E)that all should reach repentance.

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together ^(A)for good,^[a] for ^(B)those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he ^(C)foreknew he also ^(D)predestined ^(E)to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be ^(F)the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also ^(G)justified, and those whom he justified he also ^(H)glorified.

God's Everlasting Love

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? ^(I)If God is for us, who can be^[b] against us? ^32 (J)He who did not spare his own Son but ^(K)gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

¹² Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near ^(A)Shechem. ¹³ And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” ¹⁴ So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of ^(B)Hebron, and he came to Shechem. ¹⁵ And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” ¹⁶ “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” ¹⁷ And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to ^(C)Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at ^(D)Dothan.

¹⁸ They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them ^(E)they conspired against him to kill him. ¹⁹ They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. ²⁰ Come now, ^(F)let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits.^[a] Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” ²¹ But when ^(G)Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” ²² And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—^(H)that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. ²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, ^(I)the robe of many colors that he wore. ²⁴ And they took him and ^(J)threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵ Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a ^(K)caravan of ^(L)Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing ^(M)gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. ²⁶ Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it ^(N)if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? ²⁷ Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and ^(O)let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. ²⁸ Then ^(P)Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and ^(Q)sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels^[b] of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

Joseph Rises to Power

³⁷ This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. ³⁸ And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, ^(A)in whom is the Spirit of God?”^{[a] 39} Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. ^40 (B)You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command.^[b] Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” ⁴¹ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, ^(C)I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

⁶ And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” ⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, ⁸ as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left ^(A)in the land of Goshen. ⁹ And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. ¹⁰ When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, ^(B)they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he ^(C)made a mourning for his father seven days. ¹¹ When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim;^[a] it is beyond the Jordan. ¹² Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, ¹³ for ^(D)his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham ^(E)bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. ¹⁴ After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

God's Good Purposes

¹⁵ When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” ¹⁶ So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ¹⁷ ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of ^(F)the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. ¹⁸ His brothers also came and ^(G)fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” ¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for ^(H)am I in the place of God? ²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me, but ^(I)God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people^[b] should be kept alive, as they are today.