¹⁶ When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,^(A) Pharaoh and all his officials^(B) were pleased.^{(C) 17} Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals^(D) and return to the land of Canaan,^{(E) 18} and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt^(F) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’^(G)

¹⁹ “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts^(H) from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. ²⁰ Never mind about your belongings,^(I) because the best of all Egypt^(J) will be yours.’”

²¹ So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,^(K) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.^{(L) 22} To each of them he gave new clothing,^(M) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels^[a] of silver and five sets of clothes.^{(N) 23} And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys^(O) loaded with the best things^(P) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.^{(Q) 24} Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”^(R)

²⁵ So they went up out of Egypt^(S) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.^{(T) 26} They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”^(U) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.^{(V) 27} But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts^(W) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. ²⁸ And Israel said, “I’m convinced!^(X) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”^(Y)

Jacob Goes to Egypt

46 So Israel^(Z) set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba,^(AA) he offered sacrifices^(AB) to the God of his father Isaac.^(AC)

² And God spoke to Israel^(AD) in a vision at night^(AE) and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Here I am,”^(AF) he replied.

³ “I am God, the God of your father,”^(AG) he said. “Do not be afraid^(AH) to go down to Egypt,^(AI) for I will make you into a great nation^(AJ) there.^{(AK) 4} I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.^(AL) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.^(AM)”

⁵ Then Jacob left Beersheba,^(AN) and Israel’s^(AO) sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts^(AP) that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. ⁶ So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt,^(AQ) taking with them their livestock and the possessions^(AR) they had acquired^(AS) in Canaan. ⁷ Jacob brought with him to Egypt^(AT) his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.^(AU)

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin^(A)

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas^(B) the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.^(C) He entered and sat down with the guards^(D) to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^(E) were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses^(F) came forward.

Finally two^(G) came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”^(H)

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.^(I)

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath^(J) by the living God:^(K) Tell us if you are the Messiah,^(L) the Son of God.”^(M)

⁶⁴ “You have said so,”^(N) Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One^(O) and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[a](P)

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes^(Q) and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,”^(R) they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.^(S) Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”^(T)

Peter Disowns Jesus^(U)

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”^(V) And he went outside and wept bitterly.

²⁶ All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.^{(A) 27} With the two sons^[a] who had been born to Joseph in Egypt,^(B) the members of Jacob’s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy^[b] in all.^(C)

²⁸ Now Jacob sent Judah^(D) ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen.^(E) When they arrived in the region of Goshen, ²⁹ Joseph had his chariot^(F) made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.^(G) As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father^[c] and wept^(H) for a long time.^(I)

³⁰ Israel^(J) said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”^(K)

³¹ Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan,^(L) have come to me.^{(M) 32} The men are shepherds;^(N) they tend livestock,^(O) and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’^{(P) 33} When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’^{(Q) 34} you should answer, ‘Your servants^(R) have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’^(S) Then you will be allowed to settle^(T) in the region of Goshen,^(U) for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.^(V)”

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^(W) and are now in Goshen.”^{(X) 2} He chose five of his brothers and presented them^(Y) before Pharaoh.

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

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

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

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

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.^(AM) My years have been few and difficult,^(AN) and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.^(AO)” ¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed^[e] Pharaoh^(AP) 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,^(AQ) the district of Rameses,^(AR) 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.^(AS)

No Confidence in the Flesh

3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again,^(A) and it is a safeguard for you. ² Watch out for those dogs,^(B) those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. ³ For it is we who are the circumcision,^(C) we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus,^(D) and who put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴ though I myself have reasons for such confidence.^(E)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised^(F) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,^(G) of the tribe of Benjamin,^(H) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;^{(I) 6} as for zeal,^(J) persecuting the church;^(K) as for righteousness based on the law,^(L) faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss^(M) for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing^(N) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ^{(O) 9} and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,^(P) but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness^(Q) that comes from God on the basis of faith.^{(R) 10} I want to know^(S) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,^(T) becoming like him in his death,^{(U) 11} and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection^(V) from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,^(W) but I press on to take hold^(X) of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.^{(Y) 13} Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind^(Z) and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on^(AA) toward the goal to win the prize^(AB) for which God has called^(AC) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Following Paul’s Example

¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature^(AD) should take such a view of things.^(AE) And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.^{(AF) 16} Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

¹⁷ Join together in following my example,^(AG) brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.^{(AH) 18} For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears,^(AI) many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.^{(AJ) 19} Their destiny^(AK) is destruction, their god is their stomach,^(AL) and their glory is in their shame.^(AM) Their mind is set on earthly things.^{(AN) 20} But our citizenship^(AO) is in heaven.^(AP) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,^{(AQ) 21} who, by the power^(AR) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies^(AS) so that they will be like his glorious body.^(AT)