Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Love of God^[a]

⁵³ The seven years of plenty that the land of Egypt had enjoyed came to an end, ^54 (A)and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every other country, but there was food throughout Egypt. ^55 (B)When the Egyptians began to be hungry, they cried out to the king for food. So he ordered them to go to Joseph and do what he told them. ⁵⁶ The famine grew worse and spread over the whole country, so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. ⁵⁷ People came to Egypt from all over the world to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt to Buy Grain

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why don't you do something? ^2 (C)I hear that there is grain in Egypt; go there and buy some to keep us from starving to death.” ³ So Joseph's ten half brothers went to buy grain in Egypt, ⁴ but Jacob did not send Joseph's full brother Benjamin with them, because he was afraid that something might happen to him.

⁵ The sons of Jacob came with others to buy grain, because there was famine in the land of Canaan. ⁶ Joseph, as governor of the land of Egypt, was selling grain to people from all over the world. So Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. ⁷ When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he acted as if he did not know them. He asked them harshly, “Where do you come from?”

“We have come from Canaan to buy food,” they answered.

⁸ Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. ^9 (D)He remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them and said, “You are spies; you have come to find out where our country is weak.”

¹⁰ “No, sir,” they answered. “We have come as your slaves, to buy food. ¹¹ We are all brothers. We are not spies, sir, we are honest men.”

¹² Joseph said to them, “No! You have come to find out where our country is weak.”

¹³ They said, “We were twelve brothers in all, sir, sons of the same man in the land of Canaan. One brother is dead, and the youngest is now with our father.”

¹⁴ “It is just as I said,” Joseph answered. “You are spies. ¹⁵ This is how you will be tested: I swear by the name of the king that you will never leave unless your youngest brother comes here. ¹⁶ One of you must go and get him. The rest of you will be kept under guard until the truth of what you say can be tested. Otherwise, as sure as the king lives, you are spies.” ¹⁷ With that, he put them in prison for three days.

^9 (A)“Jacob's sons became jealous of their brother Joseph and sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him ^10 (B)and brought him safely through all his troubles. When Joseph appeared before the king of Egypt, God gave him a pleasing manner and wisdom, and the king made Joseph governor over the country and the royal household. ^11 (C)Then there was a famine all over Egypt and Canaan, which caused much suffering. Our ancestors could not find any food, ¹² and when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent his sons, our ancestors, on their first visit there. ^13 (D)On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and the king of Egypt came to know about Joseph's family. ^14 (E)So Joseph sent a message to his father Jacob, telling him and the whole family, seventy-five people in all, to come to Egypt. ^15 (F)Then Jacob went to Egypt, where he and his sons died. ^16 (G)Their bodies were taken to Shechem, where they were buried in the grave which Abraham had bought from the clan of Hamor for a sum of money.