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Genesis 37-45
Authorized (King James) Version
Genesis 37-45
Authorized (King James) Version
37 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7 for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? 16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. 18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; 24 and they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. 28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? 31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 32 and they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no. 33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. 36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.
38 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. 3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him. 8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. 14 And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. 16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? 17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? 18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place. 22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place. 23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. 25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. 26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
27 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. 29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. 30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
39 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. 2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. 13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 14 that she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: 15 and it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. 16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: 18 and it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. 19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.
40 And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. 3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
5 And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. 6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. 7 And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day? 8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you. 9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; 10 and in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: 11 and Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. 12 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: 13 yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. 14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: 15 for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head: 17 and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. 18 And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days: 19 yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: 22 but he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
41 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. 2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. 3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. 7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: 11 and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: 18 and, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: 19 and, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: 20 and the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: 21 and when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: 23 and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: 24 and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 30 and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 31 and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. 32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. 52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
42 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. 3 And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. 11 We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. 12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 13 And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. 14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: 15 hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. 17 And he put them all together into ward three days. 18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: 19 if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: 20 but bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. 23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. 26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth. 28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?
29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, 30 The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: 32 we be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. 33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: 34 and bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.
35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. 37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. 38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
43 And the famine was sore in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. 3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: 5 but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? 7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? 8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: 10 for except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. 11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: 12 and take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: 13 take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: 14 and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. 19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: 21 and it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. 23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. 24 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. 25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. 27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? 28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. 29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. 30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. 32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
44 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4 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? 5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. 7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: 8 behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold? 9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen. 10 And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. 11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. 12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? 16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. 17 And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? 20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. 21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. 22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. 23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. 24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. 26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us. 27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: 28 and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: 29 and if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life; 31 it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. 33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. 34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.
45 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: 10 and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: 11 and there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. 12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. 13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. 14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; 18 and take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. 21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. 22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. 23 And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. 24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, 26 and told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not. 27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: 28 and Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.
Genesis 37-45
New King James Version
Genesis 37-45
New King James Version
Joseph Dreams of Greatness
37 Now Jacob dwelt in the land (A)where his father was a [a]stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought (B)a bad report of them to his father.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was (C)the son of his old age. Also he (D)made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they (E)hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 (F)There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, (G)the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and (H)your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And (I)his brothers envied him, but his father (J)kept the matter in mind.
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in (K)Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.”
So he said to him, “Here I am.”
14 Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of (L)Hebron, and he went to Shechem.
15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”
16 So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. (M)Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.”
17 And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in (N)Dothan.
18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, (O)they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this [b]dreamer is coming! 20 (P)Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”
21 But (Q)Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.
23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they (R)stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 (S)And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of (T)Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, (U)balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and (V)conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and (W)let not our hand be upon him, for he is (X)our brother and (Y)our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then (Z)Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, (AA)and sold him to the Ishmaelites for (AB)twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he (AC)tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad (AD)is no more; and I, where shall I go?”
31 So they took (AE)Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”
33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A (AF)wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob (AG)tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and (AH)mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters (AI)arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For (AJ)I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.
36 Now (AK)the [c]Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
Judah and Tamar
38 It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and (AL)visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah (AM)saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was (AN)Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name (AO)Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name (AP)Onan. 5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name (AQ)Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.
6 Then Judah (AR)took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was (AS)Tamar. 7 But (AT)Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, (AU)and the Lord killed him. 8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to (AV)your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be (AW)his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did [d]displeased the Lord; therefore He killed (AX)him also.
11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, (AY)“Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt (AZ)in her father’s house.
12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah (BA)was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up (BB)to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and (BC)sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw (BD)that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.
So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17 And he said, (BE)“I will send a young goat from the flock.”
So she said, (BF)“Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”
18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?”
So she said, (BG)“Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and (BH)laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was [e]openly by the roadside?”
And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”
22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.”
23 Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”
24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has (BI)played the harlot; furthermore she is [f]with child by harlotry.”
So Judah said, “Bring her out (BJ)and let her be burned!”
25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, (BK)“Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”
26 So Judah (BL)acknowledged them and said, (BM)“She has been more righteous than I, because (BN)I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he (BO)never knew her again.
27 Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called (BP)Perez.[g] 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called (BQ)Zerah.
Joseph a Slave in Egypt
39 Now Joseph had been taken (BR)down to Egypt. And (BS)Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, (BT)bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 (BU)The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord (BV)made all he did [h]to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph (BW)found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him (BX)overseer of his house, and all that he had he put [i]under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that (BY)the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s [j]hand, and he did not know what he had except for the [k]bread which he ate.
Now Joseph (BZ)was handsome in form and appearance.
7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife [l]cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, (CA)“Lie with me.”
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. (CB)How then can I do this great wickedness, and (CC)sin against God?”
10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he (CD)did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she (CE)caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a (CF)Hebrew to [m]mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”
16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she (CG)spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”
19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his (CH)anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph’s master took him and (CI)put him into the (CJ)prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He (CK)gave[n] him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison (CL)committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under [o]Joseph’s authority, because (CM)the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
The Prisoners’ Dreams
40 It came to pass after these things that the (CN)butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was (CO)angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. 3 (CP)So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.
5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, (CQ)had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. 6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were [p]sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, (CR)“Why do you look so sad today?”
8 And they said to him, (CS)“We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”
So Joseph said to them, (CT)“Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
9 Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, 10 and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 11 Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 And Joseph said to him, (CU)“This is the interpretation of it: The three branches (CV)are three days. 13 Now within three days Pharaoh will (CW)lift up your head and restore you to your [q]place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. 14 But (CX)remember me when it is well with you, and (CY)please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15 For indeed I was (CZ)stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; (DA)and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and there were three [r]white baskets on my head. 17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”
18 So Joseph answered and said, (DB)“This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 (DC)Within three days Pharaoh will lift [s]off your head from you and (DD)hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s (DE)birthday, that he (DF)made a feast for all his servants; and he (DG)lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 Then he (DH)restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and (DI)he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he (DJ)hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but (DK)forgot him.
Pharaoh’s Dreams
41 Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that (DL)Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. 2 Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. 5 He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the (DM)east wind, sprang up after them. 7 And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. 8 Now it came to pass in the morning (DN)that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all (DO)the magicians of Egypt and all its (DP)wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
9 Then the (DQ)chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day. 10 When Pharaoh was (DR)angry with his servants, (DS)and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, 11 (DT)we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now there was a young (DU)Hebrew man with us there, a (DV)servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he (DW)interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And it came to pass, just (DX)as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.”
14 (DY)Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they (DZ)brought him quickly (EA)out of the dungeon; and he shaved, (EB)changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. (EC)But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”
16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, (ED)“It is not in me; (EE)God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, (EF)in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. 18 Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. 21 When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven [t]heads came up on one stalk, full and good. 23 Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24 And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So (EG)I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; (EH)God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good [u]heads are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are (EI)seven years of famine. 28 (EJ)This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Indeed (EK)seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; 30 but after them seven years of famine will (EL)arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine (EM)will deplete the land. 31 So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. 32 And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the (EN)thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint [v]officers over the land, (EO)to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. 35 And (EP)let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the [w]authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 Then that food shall be as a [x]reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land (EQ)may not [y]perish during the famine.”
Joseph’s Rise to Power
37 So (ER)the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man (ES)in whom is the Spirit of God?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 (ET)You shall be [z]over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have (EU)set you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 Then Pharaoh (EV)took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he (EW)clothed him in garments of fine linen (EX)and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in the second (EY)chariot which he had; (EZ)and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him (FA)over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name [aa]Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife (FB)Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he (FC)stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth [ab]abundantly. 48 So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. 49 Joseph gathered very much grain, (FD)as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.
50 (FE)And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn [ac]Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my (FF)father’s house.” 52 And the name of the second he called [ad]Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be (FG)fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, 54 (FH)and the seven years of famine began to come, (FI)as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; (FJ)whatever he says to you, do.” 56 The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened [ae]all the storehouses and (FK)sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. 57 (FL)So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to (FM)buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
42 When (FN)Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may (FO)live and not die.”
3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, (FP)“Lest some calamity befall him.” 5 And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was (FQ)in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was governor (FR)over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and (FS)bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as (FT)a stranger to them and spoke [af]roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?”
And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”
8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph (FU)remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the [ag]nakedness of the land!”
10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”
12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
13 And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one (FV)is no more.”
14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ 15 In this manner you shall be tested: (FW)By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be [ah]kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” 17 So he [ai]put them all together in prison (FX)three days.
18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, (FY)for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And (FZ)bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.”
And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, (GA)“We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; (GB)therefore this distress has come upon us.”
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, (GC)“Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now (GD)required of us.” 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself away from them and (GE)wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took (GF)Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
The Brothers Return to Canaan
25 Then Joseph (GG)gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to (GH)restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. (GI)Thus he did for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. 27 But as (GJ)one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. 28 So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts [aj]failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: 30 “The man who is lord of the land (GK)spoke [ak]roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, (GL)‘By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. 34 And bring your (GM)youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may (GN)trade in the land.’ ”
35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly (GO)each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have (GP)bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take (GQ)Benjamin. All these things are against me.”
37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”
38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for (GR)his brother is dead, and he is left alone. (GS)If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would (GT)bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”
Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin
43 Now the famine was (GU)severe in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go (GV)back, buy us a little food.”
3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your (GW)brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”
6 And Israel said, “Why did you deal so [al]wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”
7 But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may (GX)live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. (GY)If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”
11 And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and (GZ)carry down a present for the man—a little (HA)balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money (HB)that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And may God (HC)Almighty (HD)give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. (HE)If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”
15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went (HF)down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the (HG)steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter [am]an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.” 17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18 Now the men were (HH)afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may [an]make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”
19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “O sir, (HI)we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21 but (HJ)it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23 But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought (HK)Simeon out to them.
24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and (HL)gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and (HM)bowed down before him to the earth. 27 Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man (HN)of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” (HO)And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.
29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, (HP)his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother (HQ)of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Now (HR)his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and (HS)wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the (HT)bread.”
32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the (HU)Hebrews, for that is (HV)an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his (HW)birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was (HX)five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
Joseph’s Cup
44 And he commanded [ao]the (HY)steward of his house, saying, (HZ)“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 Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you (IA)repaid evil for good? 5 Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”
6 So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. 7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. 8 Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan (IB)the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, (IC)let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
10 And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” 11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. 12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and [ap]left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they (ID)tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they (IE)fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”
16 Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has (IF)found out the iniquity of your servants; here (IG)we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”
17 But he said, (IH)“Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Judah Intercedes for Benjamin
18 Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and (II)do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and (IJ)a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is (IK)dead, and he (IL)alone is left of his mother’s children, and his (IM)father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, (IN)‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 But you said to your servants, (IO)‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’
24 “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. 25 And (IP)our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that (IQ)my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one went out from me, and I said, (IR)“Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. 29 But if you (IS)take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’
30 “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since (IT)his life is bound up in the lad’s life, 31 it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, (IU)‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 Now therefore, please (IV)let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would [aq]come upon my father?”
Joseph Revealed to His Brothers
45 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him (IW)while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he (IX)wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.
3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, (IY)“I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, (IZ)whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; (JA)for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the (JB)famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God (JC)sent me before you to preserve a [ar]posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but (JD)God; and He has made me (JE)a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a (JF)ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not [as]tarry. 10 (JG)You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will (JH)provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’
12 “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is (JI)my mouth that speaks to you. 13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and (JJ)bring my father down here.”
14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 Moreover he (JK)kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat (JL)the [at]fat of the land. 19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. 20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them (JM)carts,[au] according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave to all of them, to each man, (JN)changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and (JO)five changes of garments. 23 And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”
25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” (JP)And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit (JQ)of Jacob their father revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 37:1 sojourner, temporary resident
- Genesis 37:19 Lit. master of dreams
- Genesis 37:36 MT Medanites
- Genesis 38:10 Lit. was evil in the eyes of
- Genesis 38:21 in full view
- Genesis 38:24 pregnant
- Genesis 38:29 Lit. Breach or Breakthrough
- Genesis 39:3 to be a success
- Genesis 39:4 Lit. in his hand
- Genesis 39:6 Care
- Genesis 39:6 Food
- Genesis 39:7 Lit. lifted up her eyes toward
- Genesis 39:14 laugh at
- Genesis 39:21 Caused him to be viewed with favor by
- Genesis 39:23 Lit. his hand
- Genesis 40:6 dejected
- Genesis 40:13 position
- Genesis 40:16 Or baskets of white bread
- Genesis 40:19 Lit. up
- Genesis 41:22 Heads of grain
- Genesis 41:26 Heads of grain
- Genesis 41:34 overseers
- Genesis 41:35 Lit. hand
- Genesis 41:36 Lit. supply
- Genesis 41:36 be cut off
- Genesis 41:40 In charge of
- Genesis 41:45 Probably Egyptian for God Speaks and He Lives
- Genesis 41:47 Lit. by handfuls
- Genesis 41:51 Lit. Making Forgetful
- Genesis 41:52 Lit. Fruitfulness
- Genesis 41:56 Lit. all that was in them
- Genesis 42:7 harshly
- Genesis 42:9 Exposed parts
- Genesis 42:16 Lit. bound
- Genesis 42:17 Lit. gathered
- Genesis 42:28 sank
- Genesis 42:30 harshly
- Genesis 43:6 Lit. wickedly
- Genesis 43:16 Lit. a slaughter
- Genesis 43:18 Lit. roll himself upon us
- Genesis 44:1 Lit. the one over
- Genesis 44:12 finished with
- Genesis 44:34 Lit. find
- Genesis 45:7 remnant
- Genesis 45:9 delay
- Genesis 45:18 The choicest produce
- Genesis 45:21 wagons
Genesis 37-45
New American Standard Bible
Genesis 37-45
New American Standard Bible
Joseph’s Dreams
37 Now Jacob lived in (A)the land where his father had lived as a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the records of the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, when he was (B)seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, while he was still a youth, along with (C)the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a (D)bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was (E)the son of his old age; and he made him a [a](F)multicolored tunic. 4 And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they (G)hated him and could not speak to him [b]on friendly terms.
5 Then Joseph [c](H)had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have [d]had; 7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf stood up and also remained standing; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and (I)bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 Then his brothers said to him, “(J)Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he [e]had yet another dream, and informed his brothers of it, and said, “Behold, I have [f]had yet another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He also told it to his father as well as to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have [g]had? Am I and your mother and (K)your brothers actually going to come to bow down to the ground before you?” 11 And (L)his brothers were jealous of him, but his father (M)kept the matter in mind.
12 Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are your brothers not pasturing the flock in (N)Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “[h]I will go.” 14 Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Valley of (O)Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “[i]What are you looking for?” 16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 Then the man said, “They have moved from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to (P)Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
The Plot against Joseph
18 [j]When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they (Q)plotted against him to put him to death. 19 They said to one another, “[k]Here comes this dreamer! 20 Now then, come and let’s kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and (R)we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams!” 21 But (S)Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands [l]by saying, “Let’s not [m]take his life.” 22 Then Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father. 23 So it came about, when Joseph [n]reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the [o]multicolored tunic that was on him; 24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat [p]a meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of (T)Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying (U)labdanum resin, (V)balsam, and [q]myrrh, [r]on their way to bring them down to Egypt. 26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and (W)cover up his blood? 27 (X)Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then some (Y)Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and (Z)sold [s]him to the Ishmaelites for [t]twenty shekels of silver. So (AA)they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he (AB)tore his garments. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, “(AC)The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31 So (AD)they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32 and they sent the [u]multicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please [v]examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33 Then he [w]examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. (AE)A vicious animal has devoured him; (AF)Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 So Jacob (AG)tore his clothes, and put on a sackcloth undergarment over his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will (AH)go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile, the [x]Midianites (AI)sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.
Judah and Tamar
38 And it came about at that time, that Judah [y]departed from his brothers and [z]visited a certain (AJ)Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was (AK)Shua; and he took her as a wife and had relations with her. 3 And she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him (AL)Er. 4 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him (AM)Onan. 5 She gave birth to yet another son and named him (AN)Shelah; and it was at Chezib [aa]that she gave birth to him.
6 Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But (AO)Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord took his life. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “(AP)Have relations with your brother’s wife and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a [ab]child for your brother.” 9 Now Onan knew that the [ac](AQ)child would not be his; so when he had relations with his brother’s wife, he [ad]wasted his seed on the ground so that he would not give [ae]a child to his brother. 10 But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He (AR)took his life also. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “(AS)Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he [af]thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12 Now [ag]after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when [ah]the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at (AT)Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to (AU)Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she [ai]removed her widow’s garments and (AV)covered herself with a [aj]veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of [ak]Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and (AW)she had not been given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he assumed she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “[al]Here now, let me have relations with you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may have relations with me?” 17 He said, therefore, “I will send you a [am]young goat from the flock.” She then said, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “(AX)Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had relations with her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she got up and departed, and [an]removed her [ao]veil and put on her widow’s garments.
20 When Judah sent the [ap]young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 He asked the people of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the people of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her [aq]keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. [ar]After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”
24 Now it was about three months later that Judah was [as]informed, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and behold, she is also pregnant by prostitution.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and (AY)have her burned!” 25 It was while she was being brought out that she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong.” She also said, “(AZ)Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” 26 And Judah recognized them, and said, “(BA)She is more righteous than I, since (BB)I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not [at]have relations with her again.
27 It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were (BC)twins in her womb. 28 Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, that one baby put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But it came about as he drew back his hand that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named [au](BD)Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named [av](BE)Zerah.
Joseph’s Success in Egypt
39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him [aw]from the (BF)Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. 2 And (BG)the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a [ax]successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master (BH)saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord (BI)made all that he did prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph (BJ)found favor in his sight and [ay]became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and [az]put him in charge of (BK)all that he owned. 5 It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord (BL)blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; so (BM)the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6 So he left [ba]Joseph in charge of everything that he owned; and with him there he did not [bb]concern himself with anything except the [bc]food which he [bd]ate.
Now Joseph was (BN)handsome in form and appearance. 7 And it came about after these events (BO)that his master’s wife [be]had her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “(BP)Sleep with me.” 8 But (BQ)he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master [bf]does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has [bg]put me in charge of all that he owns. 9 [bh](BR)There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and (BS)sin against God?” 10 Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her. 11 Now it happened [bi]one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the people of the household was there inside. 12 So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. 13 [bj]When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a [bk]Hebrew to us to make fun of us; he came in to me to sleep with me, and I [bl]screamed. 15 When he heard that I raised my voice and [bm]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.” 16 So she [bn]left his garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she (BT)spoke to him [bo]with these [bp]words: “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make fun of me; 18 but when I raised my voice and [bq]screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”
Joseph Imprisoned
19 Now when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, “[br]This is what your slave did to me,” (BU)his anger burned. 20 So Joseph’s master took him and (BV)put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the prison. 21 But (BW)the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and (BX)gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22 And the warden of the prison [bs](BY)put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was [bt]responsible for it. 23 (BZ)The warden of the prison did not supervise anything [bu]under Joseph’s authority, because (CA)the Lord was with him; and, (CB)the Lord made whatever he did prosper.
Joseph Interprets Dreams
40 Then it came about after these things, that (CC)the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was (CD)furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3 So he put them in confinement in the house of the (CE)captain of the bodyguard, in the prison, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4 And the captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he [bv]took care of them; and they were in confinement for [bw]some time. 5 Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 [bx]When Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, [by]behold, they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “[bz](CF)Why are your faces so sad today?” 8 And they said to him, “(CG)We have [ca]had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “(CH)Do interpretations not belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”
9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, [cb]saying to him, “In my dream, [cc]behold, there was a vine in front of me; 10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s [cd]hand.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is the (CI)interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13 within three more days Pharaoh will [ce]lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as in your former practice when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only [cf]keep me in mind when it goes well for you, and please (CJ)do me a kindness [cg]by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this [ch]prison. 15 For (CK)I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the [ci]dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; 17 and in the top basket there were some of all [cj]kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a wooden post, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”
20 So it came about on the third day, which was (CL)Pharaoh’s birthday, that he held a feast for all his servants; (CM)and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his [ck]office, and (CN)he put the cup into Pharaoh’s [cl]hand; 22 but (CO)he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but (CP)forgot him.
Pharaoh’s Dream
41 Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2 And behold, from the Nile seven cows came up, fine-looking and [cm]fat; and they grazed in the (CQ)marsh grass. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and [cn]thin, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 Then the ugly and [co]thin cows ate the seven fine-looking and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 But he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7 And the thin ears swallowed the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 Now in the morning (CR)his spirit was troubled, so he sent messengers and called for all the (CS)soothsayer priests of Egypt, and all its (CT)wise men. And Pharaoh told them his [cp]dreams, but (CU)there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of (CV)my own [cq]offenses. 10 Pharaoh was (CW)furious with his servants, and (CX)he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. 11 Then (CY)we had a dream one night, [cr]he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 Now a Hebrew youth was there with us, a (CZ)servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we told him the dreams, and (DA)he interpreted our dreams for us. For each man he interpreted according to his own dream. 13 And just (DB)as he interpreted for us, so it happened; Pharaoh restored me in my office, but he hanged [cs]the chief baker.”
Joseph Interprets
14 Then Pharaoh sent word and (DC)called for Joseph, and they (DD)hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, (DE)but no one can interpret it; and (DF)I have heard [ct]it said about you, that [cu]when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “[cv](DG)It has nothing to do with me; (DH)God will [cw]give Pharaoh an answer for his own good.” 17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the Nile; 18 and behold, seven cows, [cx]fat and fine-looking came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. 19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very [cy]ugly and [cz]thin, such as I had never seen for [da]ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20 and the thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows. 21 Yet when they had [db]devoured them, it could not be [dc]detected that they had [dd]devoured them, [de]for they were just as ugly as [df]before. Then I awoke. 22 I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears of grain, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23 and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind sprouted up after them; 24 and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then (DI)I told it to the soothsayer priests, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s [dg]dreams are one and the same; (DJ)God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the [dh]dreams are one and the same. 27 The seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind (DK)will be seven years of famine. 28 [di]It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: (DL)God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Behold, (DM)seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30 and after them (DN)seven years of famine will [dj]come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will [dk]ravage the land. 31 So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. 32 Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that (DO)the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33 So now let Pharaoh look for a man (DP)discerning and wise, and appoint him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers [dl]in charge of the land, and let him take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt as a tax in the seven years of abundance. 35 Then have them (DQ)collect all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and have them guard it. 36 Let the food be used as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.”
37 Now the [dm]proposal seemed good [dn]to Pharaoh and [do]to all his servants.
Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt
38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, (DR)in whom there is a divine spirit?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one as (DS)discerning and wise as you are. 40 (DT)You shall be [dp]in charge of my house, and all my people shall [dq]be obedient to you; only regarding the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I have placed you (DU)over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh (DV)took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and (DW)put the gold necklace around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in [dr]his second chariot; and they proclaimed ahead of him, “[ds]Bow the knee!” And he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet (DX)without [dt]your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph [du]Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of [dv](DY)On, to be his wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46 Now Joseph was (DZ)thirty years old when he [dw]stood in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of plenty the land produced [dx]abundantly. 48 So he collected all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and put the food in the cities; he put in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49 Joseph stored up grain [dy]in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped [dz]measuring it, for it was [ea]beyond measure.
The Sons of Joseph
50 Now before the year of famine came, (EA)two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of [eb]On, bore to him. 51 Joseph named the firstborn [ec]Manasseh; “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all of my father’s household.” 52 And he named the second [ed]Ephraim; “For,” he said, “(EB)God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 When the seven years of plenty which had taken place in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and (EC)the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 So when all the land of Egypt suffered famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; (ED)whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56 When the famine was spread over the entire face of the earth, then Joseph opened all [ee]the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Then the people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because (EE)the famine was severe in all the earth.
Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt
42 Now (EF)Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2 Then he said, “Look, (EG)I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from [ef]that place, (EH)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 (EI)Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “(EJ)I am afraid that harm may happen to him.” 5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, (EK)because the famine was also in the land of Canaan.
6 Now (EL)Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and (EM)bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and (EN)spoke to them harshly. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although (EO)they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph (EP)remembered the dreams which he [eg]had about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the [eh]undefended parts of our land.” 10 And they said to him, “No, (EQ)my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man; we are (ER)honest men, your servants are not spies.” 12 Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the [ei]undefended parts of our land!” 13 But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with (ES)our father today, and (ET)one is no longer alive.” 14 Yet Joseph said to them, “It is as I said [ej]to you, you are spies; 15 by this you will be tested: (EU)by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16 Send one of you and have him get your brother, while you remain confined, so that your words may be tested, whether there is (EV)truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, you are certainly spies!” 17 So he put them all together in (EW)prison for three days.
18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for (EX)I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in [ek]your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and (EY)bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “(EZ)Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; for that reason this distress has happened to us.” 22 Reuben answered them, saying, “(FA)Did I not tell [el]you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? [em](FB)Now justice for his blood is required.” 23 They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and (FC)wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he (FD)took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25 (FE)Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, but also to return every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And that is what was done for them.
26 So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. 27 But when one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the overnight campsite, he saw his (FF)money; and behold, it was in the opening of his sack! 28 So he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and look, it is right in my sack!” Then their hearts [en]sank, and they turned [eo]trembling to one another, saying, “(FG)What is this that God has done to us?”
Simeon Is Held Hostage
29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, (FH)spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are (FI)honest men; we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’ 33 But the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘(FJ)By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so that I may know that you are not spies, but [ep]honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may (FK)trade in the land.’”
35 Now it came about, as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, (FL)every man’s bag of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bags of money, they were afraid. 36 And their father Jacob said to them, “You have (FM)deprived me of my sons: Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.” 37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my [eq]care, and I will return him to you.” 38 But [er]Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his (FN)brother is dead, and he alone is left. (FO)If harm should happen to him on the journey [es]you are taking, then you will (FP)bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”
The Return to Egypt
43 (FQ)Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 So it came about, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.” 3 Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “(FR)The man sternly warned [et]us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, [eu]by telling the man whether you still had another brother?” 7 But they said, “The man specifically asked about us and our relatives, saying, ‘(FS)Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we [ev]answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 So Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will arise and go, (FT)so that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. 9 (FU)I myself will take responsibility for him! You may demand him back from [ew]me. If I do not bring him back to you and present him to you, then [ex]you can let me take the blame forever. 10 For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your [ey]bags, and carry down to the man (FV)as a gift, a little (FW)balsam and a little honey, labdanum resin and [ez]myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 And take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand (FX)the money that was returned in the opening of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; 14 and may [fa](FY)God Almighty (FZ)grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you (GA)your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, (GB)if I am bereaved of my sons, I am bereaved!” 15 So the men took (GC)this gift, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they set out and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
Joseph Sees Benjamin
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his (GD)house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make preparations; for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 So the man did as Joseph said, and [fb]brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, so that he may [fc]attack us and [fd]overpower us, and take us as slaves with our donkeys.” 19 So they approached Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, 21 and it happened when we came to the campsite, that we opened our sacks, and behold, (GE)each man’s money was in the opening of his sack, our money in [fe]full. So (GF)we have brought it back in our hand. 22 We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 But he said, “Peace be to you, do not be afraid. (GG)Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; your [ff]money was in my possession.” Then (GH)he brought Simeon out to them. 24 Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and (GI)gave them water, and they (GJ)washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 So they prepared (GK)the gift [fg]for Joseph’s arrival at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat [fh]a meal there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the gift which was in their hand, and they (GL)bowed down to the ground before him. 27 Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “(GM)Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 And they said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” Then (GN)they bowed down again [fi]in homage. 29 And as he raised his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this (GO)your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” Then he said, “(GP)May God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph then hurried out, for [fj](GQ)he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he looked for a place to weep; so he entered his chamber and (GR)wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he (GS)controlled himself and said, “[fk]Serve the meal.” 32 Then they served him by himself, and [fl]Joseph’s brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an (GT)abomination to the Egyptians. 33 Now they [fm]were seated before him, from (GU)the firstborn according to his birthright to the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34 Then he took portions to them from [fn]his own table, (GV)but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank freely with him.
The Brothers Are Brought Back
44 (GW)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 opening of his sack. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the opening of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.” And he did [fo]as Joseph had told him. 3 [fp]As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. 4 They had just left (GX)the city, and were not far away, 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 this not that from which my lord drinks, and which he indeed uses for (GY)divination? You have done wrong in doing this!’”
6 So [fq]he overtook them and spoke these words to them. 7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8 Behold, (GZ)the money which we found in the opening of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 (HA)With whomever of your servants it is found, he shall die, and we also shall be my lord’s (HB)slaves.” 10 So he said, “Now let it indeed be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall be considered innocent.” 11 Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and (HC)the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they (HD)tore their clothes in grief, and when each man had loaded his donkey, they returned to (HE)the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and (HF)they fell down to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this thing that you have done? Do you not know that a man who is like me can indeed practice (HG)divination?” 16 So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What words can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s (HH)slaves, both we and the one in whose [fr]possession the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose [fs]possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
18 Then Judah approached him and said, “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and [ft](HI)do not be angry with your servant; for (HJ)you are equal to Pharaoh. 19 (HK)My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and (HL)a little boy born in our father’s old age. Now (HM)his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘(HN)Bring him down to me so that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, [fu]his father would die.’ 23 You said to your servants, however, ‘(HO)Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24 So it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And (HP)our father said, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that (HQ)my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one left me, and (HR)I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him since. 29 If you also take this one from [fv]me, and harm happens to him, you will (HS)bring my gray hair down to Sheol in [fw]sorrow.’ 30 So now, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us—since [fx](HT)our father’s life is so attached to the boy’s life— 31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. So your servants will (HU)bring the gray hair of your servant, our father, down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 For your servant (HV)accepted responsibility for the boy from my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then [fy]my father can let me take the blame forever.’ 33 So now, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the boy, and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear that I may see the evil that would [fz]overtake my father.”
Joseph Deals Kindly with His Brothers
45 Then Joseph could not control himself in front of everyone standing before him, and he shouted, “Have everyone leave me!” So there [ga]was no one with him (HW)when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 Then (HX)he [gb]wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard about it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “(HY)I am Joseph! (HZ)Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for (IA)they were terrified in his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come [gc]closer to me.” And they came [gd]closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you (IB)sold to Egypt. 5 Now do not be grieved or angry [ge]with yourselves because (IC)you sold me here, for (ID)God sent me ahead of you [gf]to save lives. 6 For the famine has been in the land (IE)these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 So (IF)God sent me ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on the earth, and to [gg]keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a (IG)father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father, and (IH)say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10 For you shall live in the land of (II)Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your [gh]grandchildren, and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11 There I will also (IJ)provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.”’ 12 Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13 Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and (IK)bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and (IL)wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.
16 Now when (IM)the [gi]news was heard in Pharaoh’s house [gj]that Joseph’s brothers had come, it [gk]pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your livestock and [gl]go to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households and come to me; and (IN)I will give you the [gm]best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19 Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: [gn]take (IO)wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20 And do not [go]concern yourselves with your property, for the [gp]best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them (IP)wagons according to the [gq]command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To [gr]each of them he gave (IQ)changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and (IR)five changes of garments. 23 And to his father he sent [gs]the following: ten male donkeys loaded with the [gt]best things of Egypt, ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and sustenance for his father [gu]on the journey.
24 So he sent his brothers away, and [gv]as they departed, he said to them, “Do not [gw]quarrel on the journey.” 25 Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But [gx]he was stunned, for (IS)he did not believe them. 27 When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the (IT)wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, then the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 37:3 Or full-length tunic
- Genesis 37:4 Lit in peace
- Genesis 37:5 Lit dreamed
- Genesis 37:6 Lit dreamed
- Genesis 37:9 Lit dreamed
- Genesis 37:9 Lit dreamed
- Genesis 37:10 Lit dreamed
- Genesis 37:13 Lit Behold me
- Genesis 37:15 Lit saying, “What...?”
- Genesis 37:18 Or And
- Genesis 37:19 Lit Behold, this master of dreams comes
- Genesis 37:21 Lit and said
- Genesis 37:21 Lit strike his soul
- Genesis 37:23 Lit came to
- Genesis 37:23 Or full-length tunic
- Genesis 37:25 Lit bread
- Genesis 37:25 Or resinous bark
- Genesis 37:25 Lit going
- Genesis 37:28 Lit Joseph
- Genesis 37:28 About 10 oz. or 280 gm
- Genesis 37:32 Or full-length tunic
- Genesis 37:32 Or recognize
- Genesis 37:33 Or recognized
- Genesis 37:36 Lit Medanites
- Genesis 38:1 Lit went down
- Genesis 38:1 Lit turned aside to
- Genesis 38:5 Lit when
- Genesis 38:8 Lit seed
- Genesis 38:9 Lit seed
- Genesis 38:9 Lit spilled on the ground
- Genesis 38:9 Lit seed
- Genesis 38:11 Lit said
- Genesis 38:12 Lit the days became many and
- Genesis 38:12 Lit Judah was comforted, he
- Genesis 38:14 Lit removed from herself
- Genesis 38:14 Or shawl
- Genesis 38:14 In Josh 15:34, Enam
- Genesis 38:16 Or Come, now
- Genesis 38:17 Lit kid of goats
- Genesis 38:19 Lit removed from herself
- Genesis 38:19 Or shawl
- Genesis 38:20 Lit kid of goats by the hand of
- Genesis 38:23 Lit take for herself
- Genesis 38:23 Lit Behold
- Genesis 38:24 Lit informed, saying
- Genesis 38:26 Lit know her yet again
- Genesis 38:29 I.e., a breach
- Genesis 38:30 I.e., a dawning or brightness
- Genesis 39:1 Lit from the hand of
- Genesis 39:2 Or prosperous
- Genesis 39:4 Or ministered to him
- Genesis 39:4 Lit handed over to him
- Genesis 39:6 Lit in Joseph’s hand
- Genesis 39:6 Lit know
- Genesis 39:6 Lit bread
- Genesis 39:6 Or used to eat
- Genesis 39:7 Lit lifted up her eyes at
- Genesis 39:8 Lit does not know what is in the house
- Genesis 39:8 Lit handed over to me
- Genesis 39:9 Or He is not greater
- Genesis 39:11 Lit about this day
- Genesis 39:13 Lit And it came about when
- Genesis 39:14 Lit Hebrew man
- Genesis 39:14 Lit called with a great voice
- Genesis 39:15 Lit called out
- Genesis 39:16 Lit let...lie beside
- Genesis 39:17 Lit according to
- Genesis 39:17 Lit words, saying
- Genesis 39:18 Lit called out
- Genesis 39:19 Lit According to these things your slave
- Genesis 39:22 Lit handed over to Joseph all
- Genesis 39:22 Lit the doer
- Genesis 39:23 Lit in his hand
- Genesis 40:4 Lit ministered to
- Genesis 40:4 Lit days
- Genesis 40:6 Or And
- Genesis 40:6 Lit and behold
- Genesis 40:7 Lit saying, Why
- Genesis 40:8 Lit dreamed
- Genesis 40:9 Lit and said
- Genesis 40:9 Lit and behold
- Genesis 40:11 Lit palm
- Genesis 40:13 I.e., a royal gesture of forgiveness
- Genesis 40:14 Lit remember me with yourself
- Genesis 40:14 Lit and mention
- Genesis 40:14 Lit house
- Genesis 40:15 Or pit
- Genesis 40:17 Lit food for Pharaoh made by a baker
- Genesis 40:21 Lit wine-pouring
- Genesis 40:21 Lit palm
- Genesis 41:2 Lit fat of flesh
- Genesis 41:3 Lit thin of flesh
- Genesis 41:4 Lit thin of flesh
- Genesis 41:8 Lit dream
- Genesis 41:9 Or sins
- Genesis 41:11 Lit I and he
- Genesis 41:13 Lit him
- Genesis 41:15 Lit about you, saying
- Genesis 41:15 Lit you hear a dream to interpret it
- Genesis 41:16 Lit Apart from me
- Genesis 41:16 Lit answer the peace of Pharaoh
- Genesis 41:18 Lit fat of flesh
- Genesis 41:19 Lit bad
- Genesis 41:19 Lit thin of flesh
- Genesis 41:19 Lit badness
- Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
- Genesis 41:21 Or known
- Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
- Genesis 41:21 Lit and
- Genesis 41:21 Lit in the beginning
- Genesis 41:25 Lit dream is
- Genesis 41:26 Lit dream is
- Genesis 41:28 Lit That is the thing which I spoke
- Genesis 41:30 Lit arise
- Genesis 41:30 Lit destroy
- Genesis 41:34 Lit over
- Genesis 41:37 Lit word
- Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
- Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
- Genesis 41:40 Lit over
- Genesis 41:40 Lit kiss your mouth; LXX obey at your command
- Genesis 41:43 Lit the second...which was his
- Genesis 41:43 Or Make way
- Genesis 41:44 Lit you no one
- Genesis 41:45 Prob. Egyptian for “God speaks; he lives”
- Genesis 41:45 Or Heliopolis
- Genesis 41:46 Or entered the service of
- Genesis 41:47 Lit by handfuls
- Genesis 41:49 Lit very much
- Genesis 41:49 Lit numbering
- Genesis 41:49 Or without number
- Genesis 41:50 Or Heliopolis
- Genesis 41:51 I.e., making to forget
- Genesis 41:52 I.e., fruitfulness
- Genesis 41:56 Lit that which was in them
- Genesis 42:2 Lit there
- Genesis 42:9 Lit had dreamed
- Genesis 42:9 Lit nakedness of the land
- Genesis 42:12 Lit nakedness of the land
- Genesis 42:14 Lit to you, saying
- Genesis 42:19 Lit the house of your prison
- Genesis 42:22 Lit you, saying,
- Genesis 42:22 Lit And behold, his blood also is required
- Genesis 42:28 Lit went out
- Genesis 42:28 Lit trembled
- Genesis 42:34 Lit you are honest
- Genesis 42:37 Lit hand
- Genesis 42:38 Lit he
- Genesis 42:38 Lit on which you are going
- Genesis 43:3 Lit us, saying
- Genesis 43:6 Lit to tell
- Genesis 43:7 Lit told him according to these words
- Genesis 43:9 Lit my hand
- Genesis 43:9 Lit I will be culpable before you all the days
- Genesis 43:11 Or vessels
- Genesis 43:11 Or resinous bark
- Genesis 43:14 Heb El Shaddai
- Genesis 43:17 Lit the man brought
- Genesis 43:18 Lit roll himself upon us
- Genesis 43:18 Lit fall upon
- Genesis 43:21 Lit its weight
- Genesis 43:23 Lit your money had come to me
- Genesis 43:25 Lit until
- Genesis 43:25 Lit bread
- Genesis 43:28 I.e., great respect and honor to a superior
- Genesis 43:30 Lit his compassion grew warm
- Genesis 43:31 Lit Set on bread
- Genesis 43:32 Lit them
- Genesis 43:33 Lit sat
- Genesis 43:34 Lit his face
- Genesis 44:2 Or according to the word
- Genesis 44:3 Lit The morning was light
- Genesis 44:6 I.e., the steward
- Genesis 44:16 Lit hand
- Genesis 44:17 Lit hand
- Genesis 44:18 Lit let not your anger burn against
- Genesis 44:22 Lit he would
- Genesis 44:29 Lit my face
- Genesis 44:29 Lit evil
- Genesis 44:30 Lit his soul is bound with his soul
- Genesis 44:32 Lit I will be culpable for all the days before my father
- Genesis 44:34 Lit find
- Genesis 45:1 Lit stood
- Genesis 45:2 Lit gave forth his voice in weeping
- Genesis 45:4 Lit near
- Genesis 45:4 Lit near
- Genesis 45:5 Lit in your eyes
- Genesis 45:5 Lit for preservation of life
- Genesis 45:7 As in MT; another reading (cf. LXX) keep alive for you a great remnant
- Genesis 45:10 Lit children’s children
- Genesis 45:16 Lit voice
- Genesis 45:16 Lit saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come”
- Genesis 45:16 Lit was good in the eyes of
- Genesis 45:17 Lit come, go
- Genesis 45:18 Lit good
- Genesis 45:19 Lit take for yourselves
- Genesis 45:20 Lit let your eye look with regret upon your vessels
- Genesis 45:20 Lit good
- Genesis 45:21 Lit mouth
- Genesis 45:22 Lit all of them he gave each man
- Genesis 45:23 Lit like this
- Genesis 45:23 Lit good
- Genesis 45:23 Lit for
- Genesis 45:24 Lit they departed; and he said
- Genesis 45:24 Lit be agitated
- Genesis 45:26 Lit his heart grew numb
Genesis 37-44
New International Version
Genesis 37-44
New International Version
Joseph’s Dreams
37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed,(A) the land of Canaan.(B)
2 This is the account(C) of Jacob’s family line.
Joseph,(D) a young man of seventeen,(E) was tending the flocks(F) with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah(G) and the sons of Zilpah,(H) his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report(I) about them.
3 Now Israel(J) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,(K) because he had been born to him in his old age;(L) and he made an ornate[a] robe(M) for him.(N) 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him(O) and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 Joseph had a dream,(P) and when he told it to his brothers,(Q) they hated him all the more.(R) 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves(S) of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”(T)
8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”(U) And they hated him all the more(V) because of his dream and what he had said.
9 Then he had another dream,(W) and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars(X) were bowing down to me.”(Y)
10 When he told his father as well as his brothers,(Z) his father rebuked(AA) him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”(AB) 11 His brothers were jealous of him,(AC) but his father kept the matter in mind.(AD)
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem,(AE) 13 and Israel(AF) said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem.(AG) Come, I am going to send you to them.”
“Very well,” he replied.
14 So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers(AH) and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.(AI)
When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”
17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.(AJ)’”
So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.(AK)
19 “Here comes that dreamer!(AL)” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns(AM) and say that a ferocious animal(AN) devoured him.(AO) Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”(AP)
21 When Reuben(AQ) heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.(AR) 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern(AS) here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.(AT)
23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe(AU) he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern.(AV) The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites(AW) coming from Gilead.(AX) Their camels were loaded with spices, balm(AY) and myrrh,(AZ) and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.(BA)
26 Judah(BB) said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?(BC) 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother,(BD) our own flesh and blood.(BE)” His brothers agreed.
28 So when the Midianite(BF) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern(BG) and sold(BH) him for twenty shekels[b] of silver(BI) to the Ishmaelites,(BJ) who took him to Egypt.(BK)
29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.(BL) 30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”(BM)
31 Then they got Joseph’s robe,(BN) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.(BO) 32 They took the ornate robe(BP) 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(BQ) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”(BR)
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes,(BS) put on sackcloth(BT) and mourned for his son many days.(BU) 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,(BV) but he refused to be comforted.(BW) “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son(BX) in the grave.(BY)” So his father wept for him.
36 Meanwhile, the Midianites[c](BZ) sold Joseph(CA) in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.(CB)
Judah and Tamar
38 At that time, Judah(CC) left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam(CD) named Hirah.(CE) 2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua.(CF) He married her and made love to her; 3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.(CG) 4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.(CH) 5 She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah.(CI) It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.(CJ) 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight;(CK) so the Lord put him to death.(CL)
8 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.”(CM) 9 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.(CN)
11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law(CO) Tamar,(CP) “Live as a widow in your father’s household(CQ) until my son Shelah(CR) grows up.”(CS) 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,(CT) died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah,(CU) to the men who were shearing his sheep,(CV) and his friend Hirah the Adullamite(CW) went with him.
13 When Tamar(CX) was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”(CY) 14 she took off her widow’s clothes,(CZ) covered herself with a veil(DA) to disguise herself, and then sat down(DB) at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.(DC) For she saw that, though Shelah(DD) 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,(DE) for she had covered her face. 16 Not realizing(DF) that she was his daughter-in-law,(DG) he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”(DH)
“And what will you give me to sleep with you?”(DI) she asked.
17 “I’ll send you a young goat(DJ) from my flock,” he said.
“Will you give me something as a pledge(DK) until you send it?” she asked.
18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?”
“Your seal(DL) and its cord, and the staff(DM) in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.(DN) 19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes(DO) again.
20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite(DP) in order to get his pledge(DQ) back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute(DR) 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,(DS) or we will become a laughingstock.(DT) 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!”(DU)
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.”(DV)
26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I,(DW) since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.(DX)” 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.(DY) 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife(DZ) took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist(EA) and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out,(EB) and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.[d](EC) 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist,(ED) came out. And he was named Zerah.[e](EE)
Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
39 Now Joseph(EF) had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard,(EG) bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.(EH)
2 The Lord was with Joseph(EI) so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him(EJ) and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did,(EK) 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes(EL) and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household,(EM) and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.(EN) 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household(EO) of the Egyptian because of Joseph.(EP) The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.(EQ) 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care;(ER) with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,(ES) 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”(ET)
8 But he refused.(EU) “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.(EV) 9 No one is greater in this house than I am.(EW) 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?”(EX) 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused(EY) to go to bed with her or even be with her.
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties,(EZ) and none of the household servants(FA) was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak(FB) and said, “Come to bed with me!”(FC) But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.(FD)
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.(FE) “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew(FF) has been brought to us to make sport of us!(FG) He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.(FH) 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”(FI)
16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story:(FJ) “That Hebrew(FK) slave(FL) 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.(FM) 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison,(FN) the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him;(FO) he showed him kindness(FP) and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.(FQ) 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.(FR) 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s(FS) care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.(FT)
The Cupbearer and the Baker
40 Some time later, the cupbearer(FU) and the baker(FV) of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry(FW) with his two officials,(FX) the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,(FY) in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard(FZ) assigned them to Joseph,(GA) and he attended them.
After they had been in custody(GB) for some time, 5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream(GC) the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.(GD)
6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody(GE) with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”(GF)
8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”(GG)
Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?(GH) Tell me your dreams.”
9 So the chief cupbearer(GI) 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,(GJ) 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,(GK)” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days.(GL) 13 Within three days(GM) Pharaoh will lift up your head(GN) 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.(GO) 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me(GP) and show me kindness;(GQ) mention me to Pharaoh(GR) and get me out of this prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews,(GS) and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”(GT)
16 When the chief baker(GU) saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation,(GV) he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets(GW) of bread.[f] 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.(GX) 19 Within three days(GY) Pharaoh will lift off your head(GZ) and impale your body on a pole.(HA) And the birds will eat away your flesh.”(HB)
20 Now the third day(HC) was Pharaoh’s birthday,(HD) and he gave a feast for all his officials.(HE) He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker(HF) in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer(HG) to his position,(HH) so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand(HI)— 22 but he impaled the chief baker,(HJ) just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.(HK)
23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.(HL)
Pharaoh’s Dreams
41 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream:(HM) He was standing by the Nile,(HN) 2 when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat,(HO) and they grazed among the reeds.(HP) 3 After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 4 And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.(HQ)
5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain,(HR) healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. 6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind.(HS) 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up;(HT) it had been a dream.
8 In the morning his mind was troubled,(HU) so he sent for all the magicians(HV) and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.(HW)
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.(HX) 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants,(HY) and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.(HZ) 11 Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.(IA) 12 Now a young Hebrew(IB) was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard.(IC) We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.(ID) 13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.(IE)”
14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon.(IF) When he had shaved(IG) and changed his clothes,(IH) he came before Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it.(II) But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”(IJ)
16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”(IK)
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,(IL) 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.(IM) 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.(IN)”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.(IO) God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.(IP) 26 The seven good cows(IQ) 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.(IR)
28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.(IS) 29 Seven years of great abundance(IT) are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine(IU) will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.(IV) 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(IW) by God, and God will do it soon.(IX)
33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man(IY) and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.(IZ) 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners(JA) over the land to take a fifth(JB) of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.(JC) 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.(JD) 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,(JE) so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”
37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.(JF) 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God[g]?”(JG)
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you,(JH) there is no one so discerning and wise as you.(JI) 40 You shall be in charge of my palace,(JJ) and all my people are to submit to your orders.(JK) Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.(JL)”
Joseph in Charge of Egypt
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”(JM) 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring(JN) from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes(JO) of fine linen(JP) and put a gold chain around his neck.(JQ) 43 He had him ride in a chariot(JR) as his second-in-command,[h](JS) and people shouted before him, “Make way[i]!”(JT) Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.(JU)
44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.”(JV) 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph(JW) the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest(JX) of On,[j](JY) to be his wife.(JZ) And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old(KA) when he entered the service(KB) of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance(KC) 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.(KD) 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;(KE) 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.(KF) 51 Joseph named his firstborn(KG) Manasseh[k](KH) 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[l](KI) and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful(KJ) 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(KK) began,(KL) 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,(KM) the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”(KN)
56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians,(KO) for the famine(KP) was severe throughout Egypt.(KQ) 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph,(KR) because the famine was severe everywhere.(KS)
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt,(KT) he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” 2 He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us,(KU) so that we may live and not die.”(KV)
3 Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain(KW) from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin,(KX) Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him.(KY) 5 So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain,(KZ) for there was famine in the land of Canaan(LA) also.(LB)
6 Now Joseph was the governor of the land,(LC) the person who sold grain to all its people.(LD) So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.(LE) 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.(LF) “Where do you come from?”(LG) he asked.
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.”
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.(LH) 9 Then he remembered his dreams(LI) about them and said to them, “You are spies!(LJ) You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”(LK)
10 “No, my lord,(LL)” they answered. “Your servants have come to buy food.(LM) 11 We are all the sons of one man. Your servants(LN) are honest men,(LO) not spies.(LP)”
12 “No!” he said to them. “You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”(LQ)
13 But they replied, “Your servants(LR) were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan.(LS) The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”(LT)
14 Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies!(LU) 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives,(LV) you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.(LW) 16 Send one of your number to get your brother;(LX) the rest of you will be kept in prison,(LY) so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth.(LZ) If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!(MA)” 17 And he put them all in custody(MB) for three days.
18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:(MC) 19 If you are honest men,(MD) let one of your brothers stay here in prison,(ME) while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households.(MF) 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me,(MG) so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.
21 They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother.(MH) We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress(MI) has come on us.”
22 Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?(MJ) But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting(MK) for his blood.”(ML) 23 They did not realize(MM) that Joseph could understand them,(MN) since he was using an interpreter.
24 He turned away from them and began to weep,(MO) but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.(MP)
25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain,(MQ) to put each man’s silver back in his sack,(MR) and to give them provisions(MS) for their journey.(MT) After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys(MU) and left.
27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey,(MV) and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack.(MW) 28 “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”
Their hearts sank(MX) and they turned to each other trembling(MY) and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”(MZ)
29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan,(NA) they told him all that had happened to them.(NB) They said, 30 “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us(NC) and treated us as though we were spying on the land.(ND) 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.(NE) 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’(NF)
33 “Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go.(NG) 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men.(NH) Then I will give your brother back to you,(NI) and you can trade[m] in the land.(NJ)’”
35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver!(NK) When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened.(NL) 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more,(NM) and now you want to take Benjamin.(NN) Everything is against me!(NO)”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care,(NP) and I will bring him back.”(NQ)
38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead(NR) and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him(NS) on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave(NT) in sorrow.(NU)”
The Second Journey to Egypt
43 Now the famine was still severe in the land.(NV) 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt,(NW) their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”(NX)
3 But Judah(NY) said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’(NZ) 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you.(OA) 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.(OB)’”
6 Israel(OC) asked, “Why did you bring this trouble(OD) on me by telling the man you had another brother?”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’(OE) he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’(OF) We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”(OG)
8 Then Judah(OH) said to Israel(OI) his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.(OJ) 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him.(OK) If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame(OL) before you all my life.(OM) 10 As it is, if we had not delayed,(ON) we could have gone and returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel(OO) said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products(OP) of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift(OQ)—a little balm(OR) and a little honey, some spices(OS) and myrrh,(OT) some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount(OU) of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks.(OV) Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.(OW) 14 And may God Almighty[n](OX) grant you mercy(OY) before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you.(OZ) As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”(PA)
15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver,(PB) and Benjamin also. They hurried(PC) down to Egypt and presented themselves(PD) to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin(PE) with them, he said to the steward of his house,(PF) “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal;(PG) they are to eat with me at noon.”
17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house.(PH) 18 Now the men were frightened(PI) when they were taken to his house.(PJ) They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks(PK) the first time. He wants to attack us(PL) and overpower us and seize us as slaves(PM) and take our donkeys.(PN)”
19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward(PO) and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20 “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food.(PP) 21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us.(PQ) 22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”
23 “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father,(PR) has given you treasure in your sacks;(PS) I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.(PT)
24 The steward took the men into Joseph’s house,(PU) gave them water to wash their feet(PV) and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25 They prepared their gifts(PW) for Joseph’s arrival at noon,(PX) because they had heard that they were to eat there.
26 When Joseph came home,(PY) they presented to him the gifts(PZ) they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground.(QA) 27 He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father(QB) you told me about? Is he still living?”(QC)
28 They replied, “Your servant our father(QD) is still alive and well.” And they bowed down,(QE) prostrating themselves before him.(QF)
29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son,(QG) he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?”(QH) And he said, “God be gracious to you,(QI) my son.” 30 Deeply moved(QJ) at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept(QK) there.
31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself,(QL) said, “Serve the food.”(QM)
32 They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews,(QN) for that is detestable to Egyptians.(QO) 33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn(QP) to the youngest;(QQ) and they looked at each other in astonishment. 34 When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s.(QR) So they feasted(QS) and drank freely with him.
A Silver Cup in a Sack
44 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house:(QT) “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.(QU) 2 Then put my cup,(QV) the silver one,(QW) in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.
3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.(QX) 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward,(QY) “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?(QZ) 5 Isn’t this the cup(RA) my master drinks from and also uses for divination?(RB) This is a wicked thing you have done.’”
6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants(RC) to do anything like that!(RD) 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan(RE) the silver(RF) we found inside the mouths of our sacks.(RG) So why would we steal(RH) silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If any of your servants(RI) is found to have it, he will die;(RJ) and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.(RK)”
Footnotes
- Genesis 37:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32.
- Genesis 37:28 That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams
- Genesis 37:36 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse 28); Masoretic Text Medanites
- Genesis 38:29 Perez means breaking out.
- Genesis 38:30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness.
- Genesis 40:16 Or three wicker baskets
- Genesis 41:38 Or of the gods
- Genesis 41:43 Or in the chariot of his second-in-command; or in his second chariot
- Genesis 41:43 Or Bow down
- Genesis 41:45 That is, Heliopolis; also in verse 50
- Genesis 41:51 Manasseh sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for forget.
- Genesis 41:52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for twice fruitful.
- Genesis 42:34 Or move about freely
- Genesis 43:14 Hebrew El-Shaddai
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