47 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan^(A) and are now in Goshen.”^{(B) 2} He chose five of his brothers and presented them^(C) before Pharaoh.

³ Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?”^(D)

“Your servants^(E) are shepherds,^(F)” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” ⁴ They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while,^(G) because the famine is severe in Canaan^(H) and your servants’ flocks have no pasture.^(I) So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”^(J)

⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, ⁶ and the land of Egypt is before you; settle^(K) your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.^(L) Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability,^(M) put them in charge of my own livestock.^(N)”

⁷ Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him^(O) before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed^[a] Pharaoh,^{(P) 8} Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.^(Q) My years have been few and difficult,^(R) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.^(S)” ¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed^[b] Pharaoh^(T) and went out from his presence.

¹¹ So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land,^(U) the district of Rameses,^(V) as Pharaoh directed. ¹² Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children.^(W)

Joseph and the Famine

¹³ There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.^{(X) 14} Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying,^(Y) and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.^{(Z) 15} When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone,^(AA) all Egypt came to Joseph^(AB) and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes?^(AC) Our money is all gone.”

¹⁶ “Then bring your livestock,^(AD)” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.^(AE)” ¹⁷ So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,^(AF) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.^(AG) And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.

¹⁸ When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone^(AH) and our livestock belongs to you,^(AI) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. ¹⁹ Why should we perish before your eyes^(AJ)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,^(AK) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.^(AL) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,^(AM) and that the land may not become desolate.”

²⁰ So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe^(AN) for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, ²¹ and Joseph reduced the people to servitude,^[c](AO) from one end of Egypt to the other. ²² However, he did not buy the land of the priests,^(AP) because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment^(AQ) Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

²³ Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed^(AR) for you so you can plant the ground.^{(AS) 24} But when the crop comes in, give a fifth^(AT) of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”

²⁵ “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord;^(AU) we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”^(AV)

²⁶ So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth^(AW) of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.^(AX)

²⁷ Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.^(AY) They acquired property there^(AZ) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.^(BA)

²⁸ Jacob lived in Egypt^(BB) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.^{(BC) 29} When the time drew near for Israel^(BD) to die,^(BE) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(BF) put your hand under my thigh^(BG) and promise that you will show me kindness^(BH) and faithfulness.^(BI) Do not bury me in Egypt, ³⁰ but when I rest with my fathers,^(BJ) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”^(BK)

“I will do as you say,” he said.

³¹ “Swear to me,”^(BL) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,^(BM) and Israel^(BN) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.^[d](BO)

Israel Asks for a King

8 When Samuel grew old, he appointed^(A) his sons as Israel’s leaders.^{[a] 2} The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah,^(B) and they served at Beersheba.^{(C) 3} But his sons^(D) did not follow his ways. They turned aside^(E) after dishonest gain and accepted bribes^(F) and perverted^(G) justice.

⁴ So all the elders^(H) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.^{(I) 5} They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king^(J) to lead^[b](K) us, such as all the other nations^(L) have.”

⁶ But when they said, “Give us a king^(M) to lead us,” this displeased^(N) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord told him: “Listen^(O) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,^(P) but they have rejected me as their king.^{(Q) 8} As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking^(R) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹ Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know^(S) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

¹⁰ Samuel told^(T) all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take^(U) your sons and make them serve^(V) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.^{(W) 12} Some he will assign to be commanders^(X) of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your^(Y) fields and vineyards^(Z) and olive groves and give them to his attendants.^{(AA) 15} He will take a tenth^(AB) of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶ Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle^[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸ When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer^(AC) you in that day.^(AD)”

¹⁹ But the people refused^(AE) to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want^(AF) a king^(AG) over us. ²⁰ Then we will be like all the other nations,^(AH) with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹ When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated^(AI) it before the Lord. ²² The Lord answered, “Listen^(AJ) to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

Warning Against Adultery

Paul’s Trial Before Festus

25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus^(A) went up from Caesarea^(B) to Jerusalem, ² where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.^{(C) 3} They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.^{(D) 4} Festus answered, “Paul is being held^(E) at Caesarea,^(F) and I myself am going there soon. ⁵ Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

⁶ After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court^(G) and ordered that Paul be brought before him.^{(H) 7} When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,^(I) but they could not prove them.^(J)

⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple^(K) or against Caesar.”

⁹ Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,^(L) said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”^(M)

¹⁰ Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews,^(N) as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”^(O)

¹² After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

Festus Consults King Agrippa

¹³ A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea^(P) to pay their respects to Festus. ¹⁴ Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.^{(Q) 15} When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him^(R) and asked that he be condemned.

¹⁶ “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.^{(S) 17} When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.^{(T) 18} When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. ¹⁹ Instead, they had some points of dispute^(U) with him about their own religion^(V) and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. ²⁰ I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.^{(W) 21} But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”^(X)

²² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”

He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”^(Y)

Paul Before Agrippa^(Z)

²³ The next day Agrippa and Bernice^(AA) came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community^(AB) has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.^{(AC) 25} I found he had done nothing deserving of death,^(AD) but because he made his appeal to the Emperor^(AE) I decided to send him to Rome. ²⁶ But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. ²⁷ For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”

Psalm 63^[a]

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,^(A) and he brought me out by the Spirit^(B) of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley;^(C) it was full of bones.^{(D) 2} He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ³ He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.^(E)”

⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!^{(F) 5} This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath^[a] enter you, and you will come to life.^{(G) 6} I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(H)’”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath;^(I) prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds^(J) and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded^(K) me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.^(L)

¹¹ Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’^{(M) 12} Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.^{(N) 13} Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord,^(O) when I open your graves and bring you up from them.^{(P) 14} I will put my Spirit^(Q) in you and you will live, and I will settle^(R) you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.^(S)’”

One Nation Under One King

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶ “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites^(T) associated with him.^(U)’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ ¹⁷ Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.^(V)

¹⁸ “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’^{(W) 19} say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’^{(X) 20} Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on ²¹ and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.^{(Y) 22} I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.^(Z) There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.^{(AA) 23} They will no longer defile^(AB) themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,^[b](AC) and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.^(AD)

²⁴ “‘My servant David^(AE) will be king^(AF) over them, and they will all have one shepherd.^(AG) They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.^{(AH) 25} They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.^(AI) They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever,^(AJ) and David my servant will be their prince forever.^{(AK) 26} I will make a covenant of peace^(AL) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.^(AM) I will establish them and increase their numbers,^(AN) and I will put my sanctuary among them^(AO) forever.^{(AP) 27} My dwelling place^(AQ) will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.^{(AR) 28} Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy,^(AS) when my sanctuary is among them forever.^(AT)’”