Joseph’s Dreams

37 Now Jacob lived in (A)the land where his father had lived as a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 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. 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. 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.

Then Joseph [c](H)had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have [d]had; 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.” 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.

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. 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. And she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him (AL)Er. Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him (AM)Onan. She gave birth to yet another son and named him (AN)Shelah; and it was at Chezib [aa]that she gave birth to him.

Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But (AO)Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord took his life. 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.” 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Lords blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 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. 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.” 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. [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. And Pharaoh was (CD)furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 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. 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. 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. [bx]When Joseph came to them in the morning and saw them, [by]behold, they were dejected. 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?” 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.”

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. And behold, from the Nile seven cows came up, fine-looking and [cm]fat; and they grazed in the (CQ)marsh grass. 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. Then the ugly and [co]thin cows ate the seven fine-looking and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. But he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. And the thin ears swallowed the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 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.

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?” 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.” So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 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.” 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.

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. 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.”

But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although (EO)they did not recognize him. 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. 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.” 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.’ If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 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.’” Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, [eu]by telling the man whether you still had another brother?” 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’?” 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. (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. 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. [fp]As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. 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? Is this not that from which my lord drinks, and which he indeed uses for (GY)divination? You have done wrong in doing this!’”

So [fq]he overtook them and spoke these words to them. 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! 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? (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. Then (HX)he [gb]wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard about it. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.”

Jacob Moves to Egypt

46 So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to (IU)Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the (IV)God of his father Isaac. And (IW)God spoke to Israel [gy]in visions of the night and said, “(IX)Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “(IY)I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will (IZ)make you into a great nation there. (JA)I will go down with you to Egypt, and (JB)I will also assuredly bring you up again; and (JC)Joseph will [gz]close your eyes.”

Then Jacob left Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the (JD)wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They also took their livestock and their possessions, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and (JE)came to Egypt, Jacob and all his [ha]descendants with him: his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his [hb]descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

Those Who Came to Egypt

Now these are the (JF)names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 And the (JG)sons of Simeon: [hc]Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, [hd]Jachin, [he]Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 And the sons of Levi: [hf]Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 And the sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). And the (JH)sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 And the sons of Issachar: Tola, [hg]Puvvah, [hh]Iob, and Shimron. 14 And the sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; [hi]all his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three. 16 And the (JI)sons of Gad: [hj]Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, [hk]Ezbon, Eri, [hl]Arodi, and Areli. 17 And the (JJ)sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. And the (JK)sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons. 19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 (JL)Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. 21 And the (JM)sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, [hm]Ehi, Rosh, [hn]Muppim, [ho]Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; there were fourteen persons in all. 23 And the sons of Dan: [hp]Hushim. 24 And the sons of Naphtali: [hq]Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and [hr]Shillem. 25 These are the (JN)sons of Bilhah, whom (JO)Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore these to Jacob; there were seven persons in all. 26 (JP)All the people belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, [hs]his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all, 27 and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were [ht]two; (JQ)all the people of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.

28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph, to [hu]guide him to (JR)Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 And Joseph [hv]prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared to him, Joseph threw himself on his neck and (JS)wept on his neck a long time. 30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.” 31 But Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “(JT)I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me; 32 and the men are shepherds, for they have been [hw]keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls for you and says, ‘(JU)What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been [hx](JV)keepers of livestock since our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of (JW)Goshen; for every shepherd is an (JX)abomination to the Egyptians.”

Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

47 Then (JY)Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of (JZ)Goshen.” And he took five men from among his brothers and (KA)presented them to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “(KB)What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are (KC)shepherds, both we and our fathers.” They also said to Pharaoh, “(KD)We have come to reside in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for (KE)the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, therefore, please let your servants (KF)live in the land of Goshen.” Then Pharaoh said to [hy]Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is [hz]at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in (KG)the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any (KH)capable men among them, then [ia]put them in charge of my livestock.”

Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and [ib]presented him to Pharaoh; and Jacob (KI)blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many [ic]years have you lived?” So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The [id](KJ)years of my living abroad are [ie]130; few and [if]unpleasant have been the [ig]years of my life, nor have they [ih]attained (KK)the [ii]years [ij]that my fathers lived during the days of their living abroad.” 10 So Jacob (KL)blessed Pharaoh, and went out from [ik]his presence. 11 Now Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt, in (KM)the best of the land, in the land of (KN)Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. 12 Joseph also (KO)provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with [il]food, according to the [im]number of their little ones.

13 Now there was no [in]food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that (KP)the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 And (KQ)Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in payment for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph saying, “Give us [io]food, for (KR)why should we die in your presence? For our money is [ip]gone.” 16 Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is [iq]gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them [ir]food in exchange for the horses and the [is]flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he [it]fed them with [iu]food in exchange for all their livestock [iv]that year. 18 But when that year ended, they came to him the [iw]next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord the fact that our money is all spent, and the [ix]livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left [iy]for my lord except our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for [iz]food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

Result of the Famine

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for [ja]every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he relocated them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they [jb]lived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, today I have purchased you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. 24 [jc]At the harvest you shall give a (KS)fifth to Pharaoh, and [jd]four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food, and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.” 25 So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 26 Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, valid to this day, that Pharaoh was to have the fifth; (KT)only the land of the priests [je]did not become Pharaoh’s.

27 Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in [jf]Goshen, and they (KU)acquired property in it and (KV)were fruitful and became very numerous. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for (KW)seventeen years; so the [jg]length of Jacob’s life was 147 years.

29 When [jh](KX)the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, (KY)place your hand under my thigh now and (KZ)deal with me in kindness and [ji]faithfulness: please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I (LA)[jj]lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in (LB)their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.” 31 And he said, “(LC)Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then (LD)Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

Israel’s Last Days

48 Now it came about after these things that [jk]Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons (LE)Manasseh and Ephraim with him. When [jl]it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel [jm]collected his strength and sat [jn]up in the bed. Then Jacob said to Joseph, “[jo](LF)God Almighty appeared to me at (LG)Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your [jp]descendants after you as (LH)an everlasting possession.’ Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; (LI)Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as (LJ)Reuben and Simeon are. But your children that you have fathered after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the [jq]names of their brothers in their inheritance. Now as for me, when I came from (LK)Paddan, (LL)Rachel died, [jr]to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

When Israel (LM)saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” And Joseph said to his father, “(LN)They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, so that (LO)I may bless them.” 10 Now (LP)the eyes of Israel were so [js]dim from age that he could not see. And [jt]Joseph brought them close to him, and he (LQ)kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never [ju]expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your [jv]children as well!” 12 Then Joseph [jw]took them from his knees, and (LR)bowed with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel reached out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although (LS)Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said,

(LT)The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
(LU)The God who has been my shepherd [jx]all my life to this day,
16 (LV)The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
(LW)Bless the boys;
And may my name [jy]live on in them,
And the [jz]names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And (LX)may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 When Joseph saw that his father (LY)placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and (LZ)his [ka]descendants shall become [kb]a multitude of nations.” 20 So (MA)he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”

And so he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but (MB)God will be with you, and (MC)bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And I give you one [kc]portion more than your brothers, (MD)which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Jacob’s Prophecy concerning His Sons

49 Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves, so that I may tell you what will happen to you (ME)in the [kd]days to come.

Gather together and listen, sons of Jacob;
Yes, (MF)listen to Israel your father.

“Reuben, you are my firstborn,
My might and (MG)the beginning of my strength,
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
[ke]Uncontrollable as water, you shall not have preeminence,
(MH)Because you went up to your father’s bed;
Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.

(MI)Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Their [kf]swords are implements of violence.
(MJ)May my soul not enter into their council;
May my glory not be united with their assembly;
For in their anger they killed [kg]men,
And in their self-will they lamed [kh]oxen.
Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel.
(MK)I will scatter them in Jacob,
And disperse them among Israel.

“As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
(ML)Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
Judah is a (MM)lion’s cub;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
(MN)He [ki]crouches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a [kj]lion, who [kk]dares to stir him up?
10 (MO)The scepter will not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
[kl]Until Shiloh comes,
And (MP)to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
11 (MQ)He ties his foal to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;
(MR)He washes his garments in wine,
And his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are [km]dull from wine,
And his teeth [kn]white from milk.

13 (MS)Zebulun will reside at the seashore;
And he shall be [ko]a harbor for ships,
And his flank shall be toward Sidon.

14 “Issachar is a [kp]strong donkey,
(MT)Lying down between the sheepfolds.
15 When he saw that a resting place was good
And that the land was pleasant,
He bowed his shoulder to carry burdens,
And became a slave at forced labor.

16 (MU)Dan shall (MV)judge his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way,
A horned viper in the path,
That bites the horse’s heels,
So that its rider falls backward.
18 (MW)For Your salvation I wait, Lord.

19 (MX)As for Gad, a band of raiders shall attack him,
But he will attack at their [kq]heels.

20 [kr](MY)As for (MZ)Asher, his [ks]food shall be [kt]rich,
And he will yield royal delicacies.

21 (NA)Naphtali is a doe let loose;
He utters beautiful words.

22 (NB)Joseph is a fruitful [ku]branch,
A fruitful [kv]branch by a spring;
Its [kw]branches hang over a wall.
23 The archers provoked him,
And shot at him and were hostile toward him;
24 But his (NC)bow remained [kx]firm,
And [ky](ND)his arms were agile,
From the hands of the (NE)Mighty One of Jacob
(From there is (NF)the Shepherd, (NG)the Stone of Israel),
25 From (NH)the God of your father who helps you,
And [kz](NI)by the [la]Almighty who blesses you
With (NJ)blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father
Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors
Up to the [lb]furthest boundary of (NK)the everlasting hills;
May they be on the head of Joseph,
And on the top of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is a [lc]ravenous wolf;
In the morning he devours the prey,
And in the evening he divides the spoils.”

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them [ld]when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one [le]with the blessing appropriate to him.

Jacob Dies

29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am about to be (NL)gathered to my people; (NM)bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in (NN)the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the (NO)cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a [lf]burial site. 31 There they buried (NP)Abraham and his wife (NQ)Sarah, there they buried (NR)Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and (NS)breathed his last, and was (NT)gathered to his people.

Jacob Is Buried

50 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him. Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians (NU)embalmed Israel. Now forty days were [lg]required for [lh]it, for [li]such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians (NV)wept for him seventy days.

When the days of [lj]mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak [lk]to Pharaoh, saying, (NW)My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave (NX)which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now then, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’” Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. Chariots with teams of horses also went up with him; and it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the [ll]threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they (NY)mourned there with a very great and [lm]sorrowful lamentation; and he [ln]observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at [lo]the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a [lp]grievous [lq]mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named [lr]Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

Burial at Machpelah

12 And so his sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in (NZ)the cave of the field of Machpelah opposite Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a [ls]burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

15 When Joseph’s brothers had seen that their father was dead, they said, “(OA)What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they sent instructions to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded us before he died, saying, 17 ‘This is what you shall say to Joseph: “Please forgive, I beg you, the offense of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and (OB)fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, (OC)you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about [lt]this present result, to keep many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; (OD)I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke [lu]kindly to them.

Death of Joseph

22 Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived 110 years. 23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were (OE)born on Joseph’s knees. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “(OF)I am about to die, but God will assuredly [lv]take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He [lw]promised on oath to (OG)Abraham, to (OH)Isaac, and to (OI)Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will assuredly [lx]take care of you, and (OJ)you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of 110 years; and they (OK)embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 37:3 Or full-length tunic
  2. Genesis 37:4 Lit in peace
  3. Genesis 37:5 Lit dreamed
  4. Genesis 37:6 Lit dreamed
  5. Genesis 37:9 Lit dreamed
  6. Genesis 37:9 Lit dreamed
  7. Genesis 37:10 Lit dreamed
  8. Genesis 37:13 Lit Behold me
  9. Genesis 37:15 Lit saying, “What...?”
  10. Genesis 37:18 Or And
  11. Genesis 37:19 Lit Behold, this master of dreams comes
  12. Genesis 37:21 Lit and said
  13. Genesis 37:21 Lit strike his soul
  14. Genesis 37:23 Lit came to
  15. Genesis 37:23 Or full-length tunic
  16. Genesis 37:25 Lit bread
  17. Genesis 37:25 Or resinous bark
  18. Genesis 37:25 Lit going
  19. Genesis 37:28 Lit Joseph
  20. Genesis 37:28 About 10 oz. or 280 gm
  21. Genesis 37:32 Or full-length tunic
  22. Genesis 37:32 Or recognize
  23. Genesis 37:33 Or recognized
  24. Genesis 37:36 Lit Medanites
  25. Genesis 38:1 Lit went down
  26. Genesis 38:1 Lit turned aside to
  27. Genesis 38:5 Lit when
  28. Genesis 38:8 Lit seed
  29. Genesis 38:9 Lit seed
  30. Genesis 38:9 Lit spilled on the ground
  31. Genesis 38:9 Lit seed
  32. Genesis 38:11 Lit said
  33. Genesis 38:12 Lit the days became many and
  34. Genesis 38:12 Lit Judah was comforted, he
  35. Genesis 38:14 Lit removed from herself
  36. Genesis 38:14 Or shawl
  37. Genesis 38:14 In Josh 15:34, Enam
  38. Genesis 38:16 Or Come, now
  39. Genesis 38:17 Lit kid of goats
  40. Genesis 38:19 Lit removed from herself
  41. Genesis 38:19 Or shawl
  42. Genesis 38:20 Lit kid of goats by the hand of
  43. Genesis 38:23 Lit take for herself
  44. Genesis 38:23 Lit Behold
  45. Genesis 38:24 Lit informed, saying
  46. Genesis 38:26 Lit know her yet again
  47. Genesis 38:29 I.e., a breach
  48. Genesis 38:30 I.e., a dawning or brightness
  49. Genesis 39:1 Lit from the hand of
  50. Genesis 39:2 Or prosperous
  51. Genesis 39:4 Or ministered to him
  52. Genesis 39:4 Lit handed over to him
  53. Genesis 39:6 Lit in Joseph’s hand
  54. Genesis 39:6 Lit know
  55. Genesis 39:6 Lit bread
  56. Genesis 39:6 Or used to eat
  57. Genesis 39:7 Lit lifted up her eyes at
  58. Genesis 39:8 Lit does not know what is in the house
  59. Genesis 39:8 Lit handed over to me
  60. Genesis 39:9 Or He is not greater
  61. Genesis 39:11 Lit about this day
  62. Genesis 39:13 Lit And it came about when
  63. Genesis 39:14 Lit Hebrew man
  64. Genesis 39:14 Lit called with a great voice
  65. Genesis 39:15 Lit called out
  66. Genesis 39:16 Lit let...lie beside
  67. Genesis 39:17 Lit according to
  68. Genesis 39:17 Lit words, saying
  69. Genesis 39:18 Lit called out
  70. Genesis 39:19 Lit According to these things your slave
  71. Genesis 39:22 Lit handed over to Joseph all
  72. Genesis 39:22 Lit the doer
  73. Genesis 39:23 Lit in his hand
  74. Genesis 40:4 Lit ministered to
  75. Genesis 40:4 Lit days
  76. Genesis 40:6 Or And
  77. Genesis 40:6 Lit and behold
  78. Genesis 40:7 Lit saying, Why
  79. Genesis 40:8 Lit dreamed
  80. Genesis 40:9 Lit and said
  81. Genesis 40:9 Lit and behold
  82. Genesis 40:11 Lit palm
  83. Genesis 40:13 I.e., a royal gesture of forgiveness
  84. Genesis 40:14 Lit remember me with yourself
  85. Genesis 40:14 Lit and mention
  86. Genesis 40:14 Lit house
  87. Genesis 40:15 Or pit
  88. Genesis 40:17 Lit food for Pharaoh made by a baker
  89. Genesis 40:21 Lit wine-pouring
  90. Genesis 40:21 Lit palm
  91. Genesis 41:2 Lit fat of flesh
  92. Genesis 41:3 Lit thin of flesh
  93. Genesis 41:4 Lit thin of flesh
  94. Genesis 41:8 Lit dream
  95. Genesis 41:9 Or sins
  96. Genesis 41:11 Lit I and he
  97. Genesis 41:13 Lit him
  98. Genesis 41:15 Lit about you, saying
  99. Genesis 41:15 Lit you hear a dream to interpret it
  100. Genesis 41:16 Lit Apart from me
  101. Genesis 41:16 Lit answer the peace of Pharaoh
  102. Genesis 41:18 Lit fat of flesh
  103. Genesis 41:19 Lit bad
  104. Genesis 41:19 Lit thin of flesh
  105. Genesis 41:19 Lit badness
  106. Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
  107. Genesis 41:21 Or known
  108. Genesis 41:21 Lit entered their inward parts
  109. Genesis 41:21 Lit and
  110. Genesis 41:21 Lit in the beginning
  111. Genesis 41:25 Lit dream is
  112. Genesis 41:26 Lit dream is
  113. Genesis 41:28 Lit That is the thing which I spoke
  114. Genesis 41:30 Lit arise
  115. Genesis 41:30 Lit destroy
  116. Genesis 41:34 Lit over
  117. Genesis 41:37 Lit word
  118. Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
  119. Genesis 41:37 Lit in the sight of
  120. Genesis 41:40 Lit over
  121. Genesis 41:40 Lit kiss your mouth; LXX obey at your command
  122. Genesis 41:43 Lit the second...which was his
  123. Genesis 41:43 Or Make way
  124. Genesis 41:44 Lit you no one
  125. Genesis 41:45 Prob. Egyptian for “God speaks; he lives”
  126. Genesis 41:45 Or Heliopolis
  127. Genesis 41:46 Or entered the service of
  128. Genesis 41:47 Lit by handfuls
  129. Genesis 41:49 Lit very much
  130. Genesis 41:49 Lit numbering
  131. Genesis 41:49 Or without number
  132. Genesis 41:50 Or Heliopolis
  133. Genesis 41:51 I.e., making to forget
  134. Genesis 41:52 I.e., fruitfulness
  135. Genesis 41:56 Lit that which was in them
  136. Genesis 42:2 Lit there
  137. Genesis 42:9 Lit had dreamed
  138. Genesis 42:9 Lit nakedness of the land
  139. Genesis 42:12 Lit nakedness of the land
  140. Genesis 42:14 Lit to you, saying
  141. Genesis 42:19 Lit the house of your prison
  142. Genesis 42:22 Lit you, saying,
  143. Genesis 42:22 Lit And behold, his blood also is required
  144. Genesis 42:28 Lit went out
  145. Genesis 42:28 Lit trembled
  146. Genesis 42:34 Lit you are honest
  147. Genesis 42:37 Lit hand
  148. Genesis 42:38 Lit he
  149. Genesis 42:38 Lit on which you are going
  150. Genesis 43:3 Lit us, saying
  151. Genesis 43:6 Lit to tell
  152. Genesis 43:7 Lit told him according to these words
  153. Genesis 43:9 Lit my hand
  154. Genesis 43:9 Lit I will be culpable before you all the days
  155. Genesis 43:11 Or vessels
  156. Genesis 43:11 Or resinous bark
  157. Genesis 43:14 Heb El Shaddai
  158. Genesis 43:17 Lit the man brought
  159. Genesis 43:18 Lit roll himself upon us
  160. Genesis 43:18 Lit fall upon
  161. Genesis 43:21 Lit its weight
  162. Genesis 43:23 Lit your money had come to me
  163. Genesis 43:25 Lit until
  164. Genesis 43:25 Lit bread
  165. Genesis 43:28 I.e., great respect and honor to a superior
  166. Genesis 43:30 Lit his compassion grew warm
  167. Genesis 43:31 Lit Set on bread
  168. Genesis 43:32 Lit them
  169. Genesis 43:33 Lit sat
  170. Genesis 43:34 Lit his face
  171. Genesis 44:2 Or according to the word
  172. Genesis 44:3 Lit The morning was light
  173. Genesis 44:6 I.e., the steward
  174. Genesis 44:16 Lit hand
  175. Genesis 44:17 Lit hand
  176. Genesis 44:18 Lit let not your anger burn against
  177. Genesis 44:22 Lit he would
  178. Genesis 44:29 Lit my face
  179. Genesis 44:29 Lit evil
  180. Genesis 44:30 Lit his soul is bound with his soul
  181. Genesis 44:32 Lit I will be culpable for all the days before my father
  182. Genesis 44:34 Lit find
  183. Genesis 45:1 Lit stood
  184. Genesis 45:2 Lit gave forth his voice in weeping
  185. Genesis 45:4 Lit near
  186. Genesis 45:4 Lit near
  187. Genesis 45:5 Lit in your eyes
  188. Genesis 45:5 Lit for preservation of life
  189. Genesis 45:7 As in MT; another reading (cf. LXX) keep alive for you a great remnant
  190. Genesis 45:10 Lit children’s children
  191. Genesis 45:16 Lit voice
  192. Genesis 45:16 Lit saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come”
  193. Genesis 45:16 Lit was good in the eyes of
  194. Genesis 45:17 Lit come, go
  195. Genesis 45:18 Lit good
  196. Genesis 45:19 Lit take for yourselves
  197. Genesis 45:20 Lit let your eye look with regret upon your vessels
  198. Genesis 45:20 Lit good
  199. Genesis 45:21 Lit mouth
  200. Genesis 45:22 Lit all of them he gave each man
  201. Genesis 45:23 Lit like this
  202. Genesis 45:23 Lit good
  203. Genesis 45:23 Lit for
  204. Genesis 45:24 Lit they departed; and he said
  205. Genesis 45:24 Lit be agitated
  206. Genesis 45:26 Lit his heart grew numb
  207. Genesis 46:2 Lit in the visions
  208. Genesis 46:4 Lit put his hand on
  209. Genesis 46:6 Lit seed
  210. Genesis 46:7 Lit seed
  211. Genesis 46:10 In Num 26:12 and 1 Chr 4:24, Nemuel
  212. Genesis 46:10 In 1 Chr 4:24, Jarib
  213. Genesis 46:10 In Num 26:13 and 1 Chr 4:24, Zerah
  214. Genesis 46:11 In 1 Chr 6:16, Gershom
  215. Genesis 46:13 In Num 26:23, Puvah; in 1 Chr 7:1, Puah
  216. Genesis 46:13 In Num 26:24 and 1 Chr 7:1, Jashub
  217. Genesis 46:15 Lit all the souls of
  218. Genesis 46:16 In Num 26:15, Zephon
  219. Genesis 46:16 In Num 26:16, Ozni
  220. Genesis 46:16 In Num 26:17, Arod
  221. Genesis 46:21 In Num 26:38, Ahiram
  222. Genesis 46:21 In Num 26:39, Shephupham; in 1 Chr 7:12, Shuppim
  223. Genesis 46:21 In Num 26:39, Hupham
  224. Genesis 46:23 In Num 26:42, Shuham
  225. Genesis 46:24 In 1 Chr 7:13, Jahziel
  226. Genesis 46:24 In 1 Chr 7:13, Shallum
  227. Genesis 46:26 Lit who came out of his loins
  228. Genesis 46:27 Lit two souls
  229. Genesis 46:28 Lit instruct before him
  230. Genesis 46:29 Lit harnessed
  231. Genesis 46:32 Lit men
  232. Genesis 46:34 Lit men
  233. Genesis 47:5 Lit Joseph, saying
  234. Genesis 47:6 Lit before you
  235. Genesis 47:6 Lit appoint them rulers
  236. Genesis 47:7 Lit set him before
  237. Genesis 47:8 Lit are the days of the years of your life
  238. Genesis 47:9 Lit days of the years
  239. Genesis 47:9 Lit 130 years
  240. Genesis 47:9 Lit evil
  241. Genesis 47:9 Lit days of the years
  242. Genesis 47:9 Lit reached
  243. Genesis 47:9 Lit days of the years
  244. Genesis 47:9 Lit of the life of my fathers
  245. Genesis 47:10 Lit Pharaoh’s
  246. Genesis 47:12 Or bread
  247. Genesis 47:12 Lit mouth
  248. Genesis 47:13 Or bread
  249. Genesis 47:15 Or bread
  250. Genesis 47:15 Lit at an end
  251. Genesis 47:16 Lit at an end
  252. Genesis 47:17 Or bread
  253. Genesis 47:17 Lit livestock of the flocks and livestock of the herds
  254. Genesis 47:17 Lit led them as a shepherd
  255. Genesis 47:17 Or bread
  256. Genesis 47:17 Lit in that year
  257. Genesis 47:18 Lit second
  258. Genesis 47:18 Lit livestock of the cattle
  259. Genesis 47:18 Lit in the presence of
  260. Genesis 47:19 Or bread
  261. Genesis 47:20 Lit Egypt, every man
  262. Genesis 47:22 Lit ate their allotment
  263. Genesis 47:24 Lit It shall come about...that you shall
  264. Genesis 47:24 Lit four parts
  265. Genesis 47:26 Lit alone did
  266. Genesis 47:27 Lit the land of Goshen
  267. Genesis 47:28 Lit days of Jacob, the years of his life
  268. Genesis 47:29 Lit the days of Israel
  269. Genesis 47:29 Lit truth
  270. Genesis 47:30 I.e., die
  271. Genesis 48:1 Lit one said to Joseph
  272. Genesis 48:2 Lit one told Jacob and said
  273. Genesis 48:2 Lit strengthened himself
  274. Genesis 48:2 Lit upon the bed
  275. Genesis 48:3 Heb El Shaddai
  276. Genesis 48:4 Lit seed
  277. Genesis 48:6 Lit name
  278. Genesis 48:7 Lit upon me
  279. Genesis 48:10 Lit dull
  280. Genesis 48:10 Lit he
  281. Genesis 48:11 Lit assumed
  282. Genesis 48:11 Lit seed
  283. Genesis 48:12 Lit made them come out
  284. Genesis 48:15 Lit from the continuance of me
  285. Genesis 48:16 Lit be called
  286. Genesis 48:16 Lit name
  287. Genesis 48:19 Lit seed
  288. Genesis 48:19 Lit the fullness
  289. Genesis 48:22 Or ridge; lit shoulder; Heb Shechem
  290. Genesis 49:1 Lit end of the days
  291. Genesis 49:4 Or Gushing over
  292. Genesis 49:5 Or plans; meaning uncertain
  293. Genesis 49:6 Lit a man
  294. Genesis 49:6 Lit an ox
  295. Genesis 49:9 Lit bows down
  296. Genesis 49:9 Lit lioness
  297. Genesis 49:9 Lit shall
  298. Genesis 49:10 Or Until he comes to Shiloh; or Until he comes to whom it belongs
  299. Genesis 49:12 Or darker than
  300. Genesis 49:12 Or whiter than
  301. Genesis 49:13 Lit a shore of ships
  302. Genesis 49:14 Lit donkey of bone
  303. Genesis 49:19 Lit heel
  304. Genesis 49:20 Lit From
  305. Genesis 49:20 Or bread
  306. Genesis 49:20 Lit fat
  307. Genesis 49:22 Lit son
  308. Genesis 49:22 Lit son
  309. Genesis 49:22 Lit daughters
  310. Genesis 49:24 I.e., in an unyielding position
  311. Genesis 49:24 Lit the arms of his hands
  312. Genesis 49:25 Or with
  313. Genesis 49:25 Heb Shaddai
  314. Genesis 49:26 Lit limit; or desire
  315. Genesis 49:27 Lit a wolf that tears
  316. Genesis 49:28 Lit and
  317. Genesis 49:28 Lit according to his blessing
  318. Genesis 49:30 Lit possession of a burial place
  319. Genesis 50:3 Lit fulfilled
  320. Genesis 50:3 Or him
  321. Genesis 50:3 Lit so are fulfilled the days of embalming
  322. Genesis 50:4 Lit weeping
  323. Genesis 50:4 Lit In the ears of
  324. Genesis 50:10 Heb Goren ha-Atad
  325. Genesis 50:10 Lit heavy
  326. Genesis 50:10 Lit made a mourning for seven days
  327. Genesis 50:11 Heb Goren ha-Atad
  328. Genesis 50:11 Lit heavy
  329. Genesis 50:11 Heb ebel
  330. Genesis 50:11 I.e., the meadow (or mourning) of Egypt
  331. Genesis 50:13 Lit possession of a burial place
  332. Genesis 50:20 Lit as this day
  333. Genesis 50:21 Lit to their heart
  334. Genesis 50:24 Or visit
  335. Genesis 50:24 Lit swore
  336. Genesis 50:25 Or visit

37 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

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.

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.

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.

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

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.

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.

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.

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.

And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

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.

And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

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.

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.

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.

And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

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;

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.

And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.

And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.

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.

And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.

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?

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.

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.

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

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.

And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

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.

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 Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah 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 Potipherah 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?

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.

And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

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.

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.

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

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.

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.

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.

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

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.

And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

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?

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.

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 their's. 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.

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.

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

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?

Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

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?

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.

And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.

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.

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.

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

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.

And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

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.

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 your's.

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.

46 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:

His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.

And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.

10 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.

11 And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12 And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

13 And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.

14 And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.

15 These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.

16 And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.

17 And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.

18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.

19 The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.

20 And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

21 And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

22 These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.

23 And the sons of Dan; Hushim.

24 And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.

25 These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.

26 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six;

27 And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

28 And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

30 And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.

31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;

32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.

33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

47 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.

And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.

And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

They said morever unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.

And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:

The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?

And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.

13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.

14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.

15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.

16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.

17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.

18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:

19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.

20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.

21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.

24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.

25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.

26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.

28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.

29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:

30 But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.

31 And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

48 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.

And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.

And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these?

And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,

16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

49 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:

15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.

19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

29 And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

30 In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.

31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.

33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

50 And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him.

And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.

And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.

And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.

And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.

And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.

And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.

10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.

12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:

13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.

23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.

24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

37 So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived.

Jacob’s son Joseph was now seventeen years old. His job, along with his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, was to shepherd his father’s flocks. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things they were doing. Now as it happened, Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other children, because Joseph was born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob gave him a special gift—a brightly colored coat.[a] His brothers of course noticed their father’s partiality, and consequently hated Joseph; they couldn’t say a kind word to him. One night Joseph had a dream and promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing even deeper hatred.

“Listen to this,” he proudly announced. “We were out in the field binding sheaves, and my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves all gathered around it and bowed low before it!”

“So you want to be our king, do you?” his brothers derided. And they hated him both for the dream and for his cocky attitude.

Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Listen to my latest dream,” he boasted. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” 10 This time he told his father as well as his brothers; but his father rebuked him. “What is this?” he asked. “Shall I indeed, and your mother and brothers come and bow before you?” 11 His brothers were fit to be tied concerning this affair, but his father gave it quite a bit of thought and wondered what it all meant.

12 One day Joseph’s brothers took their father’s flocks to Shechem to graze them there. 13-14 A few days later Israel called for Joseph, and told him, “Your brothers are over in Shechem grazing the flocks. Go and see how they are getting along, and how it is with the flocks, and bring me word.”

“Very good,” Joseph replied. So he traveled to Shechem from his home at Hebron Valley. 15 A man noticed him wandering in the fields.

“Who are you looking for?” he asked.

16 “For my brothers and their flocks,” Joseph replied. “Have you seen them?”

17 “Yes,” the man told him, “they are no longer here. I heard your brothers say they were going to Dothan.” So Joseph followed them to Dothan and found them there. 18 But when they saw him coming, recognizing him in the distance, they decided to kill him!

19-20 “Here comes that master-dreamer,” they exclaimed. “Come on, let’s kill him and toss him into a well and tell Father that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we’ll see what will become of all his dreams!”

21-22 But Reuben hoped to spare Joseph’s life. “Let’s not kill him,” he said; “we’ll shed no blood—let’s throw him alive into this well here; that way he’ll die without our touching him!” (Reuben was planning to get him out later and return him to his father.) 23 So when Joseph got there, they pulled off his brightly colored robe, 24 and threw him into an empty well—there was no water in it. 25 Then they sat down for supper. Suddenly they noticed a string of camels coming towards them in the distance, probably Ishmaelite traders who were taking gum, spices, and herbs from Gilead to Egypt.

26-27 “Look there,” Judah said to the others. “Here come some Ishmaelites. Let’s sell Joseph to them! Why kill him and have a guilty conscience? Let’s not be responsible for his death, for, after all, he is our brother!” And his brothers agreed. 28 So when the traders[b] came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the well and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver, and they took him along to Egypt. 29 Some time later, Reuben (who was away when the traders came by)[c] returned to get Joseph out of the well. When Joseph wasn’t there, he ripped at his clothes in anguish and frustration.

30 “The child is gone; and I, where shall I go now?” he wept to his brothers. 31 Then the brothers killed a goat and spattered its blood on Joseph’s coat, 32 and took the coat to their father and asked him to identify it.

“We found this in the field,” they told him. “Is it Joseph’s coat or not?” 33 Their father recognized it at once.

“Yes,” he sobbed, “it is my son’s coat. A wild animal has eaten him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”

34 Then Israel tore his garments and put on sackcloth and mourned for his son in deepest mourning for many weeks. 35 His family all tried to comfort him, but it was no use.

“I will die in mourning for my son,” he would say, and then break down and cry.

36 Meanwhile, in Egypt, the traders sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh—the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard, the chief executioner.

38 About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam and lived there with a man named Hirah. There he met and married a Canaanite girl—the daughter of Shua. 3-5 They lived at Chezib and had three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. These names were given to them by their mother, except for Er, who was named by his father.

When his oldest son, Er, grew up, Judah arranged for him to marry a girl named Tamar. But Er was a wicked man, and so the Lord killed him.

Then Judah said to Er’s brother, Onan, “You must marry Tamar, as our law requires of a dead man’s brother; so that her sons from you will be your brother’s heirs.”

But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be counted as his own, and so, although he married her,[d] whenever he went in to sleep with her, he spilled the sperm on the bed to prevent her from having a baby which would be his brother’s. 10 So far as the Lord was concerned, it was very wrong of him to deny a child to his deceased brother, so he killed him, too. 11 Then Judah told Tamar, his daughter-in-law, not to marry again at that time, but to return to her childhood home and to her parents, and to remain a widow there until his youngest son, Shelah, was old enough to marry her. (But he didn’t really intend for Shelah to do this, for fear God would kill him, too, just as he had his two brothers.) So Tamar went home to her parents.

12 In the process of time Judah’s wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite, went to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep. 13 When someone told Tamar that her father-in-law had left for the sheepshearing at Timnah, 14 and realizing by now that she was not going to be permitted to marry Shelah, though he was fully grown, she laid aside her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. 15 Judah noticed her as he went by and thought she was a prostitute, since her face was veiled. 16 So he stopped and propositioned her to sleep with him, not realizing of course that she was his own daughter-in-law.

“How much will you pay me?” she asked.

17 “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he promised.

“What pledge will you give me, so that I can be sure you will send it?” she asked.

18 “Well, what do you want?” he inquired.

“Your identification seal and your walking stick,” she replied. So he gave them to her and she let him come and sleep with her; and she became pregnant as a result. 19 Afterwards she resumed wearing her widow’s clothing as usual. 20 Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat back to her, and to pick up the pledges he had given her, but Hirah couldn’t find her!

21 So he asked around of the men of the city, “Where does the prostitute live who was soliciting out beside the road at the entrance of the village?”

“But we’ve never had a public prostitute here,” they replied. 22 So he returned to Judah and told him he couldn’t find her anywhere, and what the men of the place had told him.

23 “Then let her keep them!” Judah exclaimed. “We tried our best. We’d be the laughingstock of the town to go back again.”

24 About three months later word reached Judah that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, was pregnant, obviously as a result of prostitution.

“Bring her out and burn her,” Judah shouted.

25 But as they were taking her out to kill her she sent this message to her father-in-law: “The man who owns this identification seal and walking stick is the father of my child. Do you recognize them?”

26 Judah admitted that they were his and said, “She is more in the right than I am, because I refused to keep my promise to give her to my son Shelah.” But he did not marry her.

27 In due season the time of her delivery arrived and she had twin sons. 28 As they were being born, the midwife tied a scarlet thread around the wrist of the child who appeared first, 29 but he drew back his hand and the other baby was actually the first to be born. “Where did you come from!” she exclaimed. And ever after he was called Perez (meaning “Bursting Out”). 30 Then, soon afterwards, the baby with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.

39 When Joseph arrived in Egypt as a captive of the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased from them by Potiphar, a member of the personal staff of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Now this man Potiphar was the captain of the king’s bodyguard and his chief executioner. The Lord greatly blessed Joseph there in the home of his master, so that everything he did succeeded. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph in a very special way. So Joseph naturally became quite a favorite with him. Soon he was put in charge of the administration of Potiphar’s household, and all of his business affairs. At once the Lord began blessing Potiphar for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs began to run smoothly, his crops flourished and his flocks multiplied. So Potiphar gave Joseph the complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. He hadn’t a worry in the world with Joseph there, except to decide what he wanted to eat! Joseph, by the way, was a very handsome young man.

One day at about this time Potiphar’s wife began making eyes at Joseph, and suggested that he come and sleep with her.

Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in the entire household; he himself has no more authority here than I have! He has held back nothing from me except you yourself because you are his wife. How can I do such a wicked thing as this? It would be a great sin against God.”

10 But she kept on with her suggestions day after day, even though he refused to listen, and kept out of her way as much as possible. 11 Then one day as he was in the house going about his work—as it happened, no one else was around at the time— 12 she came and grabbed him by the sleeve[e] demanding, “Sleep with me.” He tore himself away, but as he did, his jacket slipped off and she was left holding it as he fled from the house. 13 When she saw that she had his jacket, and that he had fled, 14-15 she began screaming; and when the other men around the place came running in to see what had happened, she was crying hysterically. “My husband had to bring in this Hebrew slave to insult us!” she sobbed. “He tried to rape me, but when I screamed, he ran, and forgot to take his jacket.”

16 She kept the jacket, and when her husband came home that night, 17 she told him her story.

“That Hebrew slave you’ve had around here tried to rape me, 18 and I was only saved by my screams. He fled, leaving his jacket behind!”

19 Well, when her husband heard his wife’s story, he was furious. 20 He threw Joseph into prison, where the king’s prisoners were kept in chains. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph there, too, and was kind to him by granting him favor with the chief jailer. 22 In fact, the jailer soon handed over the entire prison administration to Joseph, so that all the other prisoners were responsible to him. 23 The chief jailer had no more worries after that, for Joseph took care of everything, and the Lord was with him so that everything ran smoothly and well.

40 1-3 Some time later it so happened that the king of Egypt became angry with both his chief baker and his chief butler, so he jailed them both in the prison where Joseph was, in the castle of Potiphar, the captain of the guard, who was the chief executioner. They remained under arrest there for quite some time, and Potiphar assigned Joseph to wait on them. One night each of them had a dream. The next morning Joseph noticed that they looked dejected and sad.

“What in the world is the matter?” he asked.

And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but there is no one here to tell us what they mean.”

“Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Tell me what you saw.”

9-10 The butler told his dream first. “In my dream,” he said, “I saw a vine with three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon there were clusters of ripe grapes. 11 I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into it, and gave it to him to drink.”

12 “I know what the dream means,” Joseph said. “The three branches mean three days! 13 Within three days Pharaoh is going to take you out of prison and give you back your job again as his chief butler. 14 And please have some pity on me when you are back in his favor, and mention me to Pharaoh, and ask him to let me out of here. 15 For I was kidnapped from my homeland among the Hebrews, and now this—here I am in jail when I did nothing to deserve it.”

16 When the chief baker saw that the first dream had such a good meaning, he told his dream to Joseph, too.

“In my dream,” he said, “there were three baskets of pastries on my head. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of bakery goods for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them.”

18-19 “The three baskets mean three days,” Joseph told him. “Three days from now Pharaoh will take off your head and impale your body on a pole, and the birds will come and pick off your flesh!”

20 Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he held a party for all of his officials and household staff. He sent for his chief butler and chief baker, and they were brought to him from the prison. 21 Then he restored the chief butler to his former position; 22 but he sentenced the chief baker to be impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. 23 Pharaoh’s wine taster, however, promptly forgot all about Joseph, never giving him a thought.

41 One night two years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River, when suddenly, seven sleek, fat cows came up out of the river and began grazing in the grass. Then seven other cows came up from the river, but they were very skinny and all their ribs stood out. They went over and stood beside the fat cows. Then the skinny cows ate the fat ones! At which point, Pharaoh woke up!

Soon he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain on one stalk, with every kernel well formed and plump. Then, suddenly, seven more heads appeared on the stalk, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was all a dream. Next morning, as he thought about it, he became very concerned as to what the dreams might mean; he called for all the magicians and sages of Egypt and told them about it, but not one of them could suggest what his dreams meant. Then the king’s wine taster spoke up. “Today I remember my sin!” he said. 10 “Some time ago when you were angry with a couple of us and put me and the chief baker in jail in the castle of the captain of the guard, 11 the chief baker and I each had a dream one night. 12 We told the dreams to a young Hebrew fellow there who was a slave of the captain of the guard, and he told us what our dreams meant. 13 And everything happened just as he said: I was restored to my position of wine taster, and the chief baker was executed, and impaled on a pole.”

14 Pharaoh sent at once for Joseph. He was brought hastily from the dungeon, and after a quick shave and change of clothes, came in before Pharaoh.

15 “I had a dream last night,” Pharaoh told him, “and none of these men can tell me what it means. But I have heard that you can interpret dreams, and that is why I have called for you.”

16 “I can’t do it by myself,” Joseph replied, “but God will tell you what it means!”

17 So Pharaoh told him the dream. “I was standing upon the bank of the Nile River,” he said, 18 “when suddenly, seven fat, healthy-looking cows came up out of the river and began grazing along the riverbank. 19 But then seven other cows came up from the river, very skinny and bony—in fact, I’ve never seen such poor-looking specimens in all the land of Egypt. 20 And these skinny cattle ate up the seven fat ones that had come out first, 21 and afterwards they were still as skinny as before! Then I woke up.

22 “A little later I had another dream. This time there were seven heads of grain on one stalk, and all seven heads were plump and full. 23 Then, out of the same stalk, came seven withered, thin heads. 24 And the thin heads swallowed up the fat ones! I told all this to my magicians, but not one of them could tell me the meaning.”

25 “Both dreams mean the same thing,” Joseph told Pharaoh. “God was telling you what he is going to do here in the land of Egypt. 26 The seven fat cows (and also the seven fat, well-formed heads of grain) mean that there are seven years of prosperity ahead. 27 The seven skinny cows (and also the seven thin and withered heads of grain) indicate that there will be seven years of famine following the seven years of prosperity.

28 “So God has showed you what he is about to do: 29 The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout all the land of Egypt; 30 but afterwards there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten and wiped out; famine will consume the land. 31 The famine will be so terrible that even the memory of the good years will be erased. 32 The double dream gives double impact, showing that what I have told you is certainly going to happen, for God has decreed it, and it is going to happen soon. 33 My suggestion is that you find the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of administering a nationwide farm program. 34-35 Let Pharaoh divide Egypt into five administrative districts,[f] and let the officials of these districts gather into the royal storehouses all the excess crops of the next seven years, 36 so that there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come. Otherwise, disaster will surely strike.”

37 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his assistants. 38 As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, “Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the Spirit of God.” 39 Turning to Joseph, Pharaoh said to him, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, you are the wisest man in the country! 40 I am hereby appointing you to be in charge of this entire project. What you say goes, throughout all the land of Egypt. I alone will outrank you.”

41-42 Then Pharaoh placed his own signet ring on Joseph’s finger as a token of his authority, and dressed him in beautiful clothing and placed the royal gold chain about his neck and declared, “See, I have placed you in charge of all the land of Egypt.”

43 Pharaoh also gave Joseph the chariot of his second-in-command, and wherever he went the shout arose, “Kneel down!” 44 And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I, the king of Egypt, swear that you shall have complete charge over all the land of Egypt.”

45 Pharaoh gave him a name meaning “He has the godlike power of life and death!”[g] And he gave him a wife, a girl named Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. So Joseph became famous throughout the land of Egypt. 46 He was thirty years old as he entered the service of the king. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and began traveling all across the land.

47 And sure enough, for the next seven years there were bumper crops everywhere. 48 During those years, Joseph requisitioned for the government a portion of all the crops grown throughout Egypt, storing them in nearby cities. 49 After seven years of this, the granaries were full to overflowing, and there was so much that no one kept track of the amount.

50 During this time before the arrival of the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of the sun god Re of Heliopolis. 51 Joseph named his oldest son Manasseh (meaning “Made to Forget”—what he meant was that God had made up to him for all the anguish of his youth, and for the loss of his father’s home). 52 The second boy was named Ephraim (meaning “Fruitful”—“For God has made me fruitful in this land of my slavery,” he said).

53 So at last the seven years of plenty came to an end. 54 Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There were crop failures in all the surrounding countries, too, but in Egypt there was plenty of grain in the storehouses. 55 The people began to starve. They pleaded with Pharaoh for food, and he sent them to Joseph. “Do whatever he tells you to,” he instructed them.

56-57 So now, with severe famine all over the world, Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians and to those from other lands who came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.

42 When Jacob heard that there was grain available in Egypt he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? I have heard that there is grain available in Egypt. Go down and buy some for us before we all starve to death.”

So Joseph’s ten older[h] brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. However, Jacob wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother Benjamin go with them, for fear some harm might happen to him as it had to his brother Joseph.[i] So it was that Israel’s sons arrived in Egypt along with many others from many lands to buy food, for the famine was as severe in Canaan as it was everywhere else.

Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt, and in charge of the sale of the grain, it was to him that his brothers came, and bowed low before him, with their faces to the earth. Joseph recognized them instantly, but pretended he didn’t.

“Where are you from?” he demanded roughly.

“From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy grain.”

8-9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams of long ago! But he said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see how destitute the famine has made our land.”

10 “No, no,” they exclaimed. “We have come to buy food. 11 We are all brothers and honest men, sir! We are not spies!”

12 “Yes, you are,” he insisted. “You have come to see how weak we are.”

13 “Sir,” they said, “there are twelve of us brothers, and our father is in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is there with our father, and one of our brothers is dead.”

14 “So?” Joseph asked. “What does that prove?[j] You are spies. 15 This is the way I will test your story: I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you are not going to leave Egypt until this youngest brother comes here. 16 One of you go and get your brother! I’ll keep the rest of you here, bound in prison. Then we’ll find out whether your story is true or not. If it turns out that you don’t have a younger brother, then I’ll know you are spies.”

17 So he threw them all into jail for three days.

18 The third day Joseph said to them, “I am a God-fearing man and I’m going to give you an opportunity to prove yourselves. 19 I’m going to take a chance that you are honorable;[k] only one of you shall remain in chains in jail, and the rest of you may go on home with grain for your families; 20 but bring your youngest brother back to me. In this way I will know whether you are telling me the truth; and if you are, I will spare you.” To this they agreed.

21 Speaking among themselves, they said, “This has all happened because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his terror and anguish and heard his pleadings, but we wouldn’t listen.”

22 “Didn’t I tell you not to do it?” Reuben asked. “But you wouldn’t listen. And now we are going to die because we murdered him.”

23 Of course they didn’t know that Joseph understood them as he was standing there, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter. 24 Now he left the room and found a place where he could weep. Returning, he selected Simeon from among them and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, but also gave secret instructions to put each brother’s payment at the top of his sack! He also gave them provisions for their journey. 26 So they loaded up their donkeys with the grain and started for home. 27 But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get some grain to feed the donkeys, there was his money in the mouth of the sack!

28 “Look,” he exclaimed to his brothers, “my money is here in my sack.” They were filled with terror. Trembling, they exclaimed to each other. “What is this that God has done to us?” 29 So they came to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened.

30 “The king’s chief assistant spoke very roughly to us,” they told him, “and took us for spies. 31 ‘No, no,’ we said, ‘we are honest men, not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father; one is dead, and the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man told us, ‘This is the way I will find out if you are what you claim to be. Leave one of your brothers here with me and take grain for your families and go on home, 34 but bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I shall know whether you are spies or honest men; if you prove to be what you say, then I will give you back your brother and you can come as often as you like to purchase grain.’”

35 As they emptied out the sacks, there at the top of each was the money paid for the grain! Terror gripped them, as it did their father.

36 Then Jacob exclaimed, “You have bereaved me of my children—Joseph didn’t come back, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin too! Everything has been against me.”

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. I’ll be responsible for him.”

38 But Jacob replied, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother Joseph is dead and he alone is left of his mother’s children. If anything should happen to him, I would die.”

43 But there was no relief from the terrible famine throughout the land. When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, their father said to them, “Go again and buy us a little food.”

3-5 But Judah told him, “The man wasn’t fooling one bit when he said, ‘Don’t ever come back again unless your brother is with you.’ We cannot go unless you let Benjamin go with us.”

“Why did you ever tell him you had another brother?” Israel moaned. “Why did you have to treat me like that?”

“But the man specifically asked us about our family,” they told him. “He wanted to know whether our father was still living and he asked us if we had another brother, so we told him. How could we know that he was going to say, ‘Bring me your brother’?”

Judah said to his father, “Send the lad with me and we will be on our way; otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and all our little ones. I guarantee his safety. If I don’t bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For we could have gone and returned by this time if you had let him come.”

11 So their father Israel finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Load your donkeys with the best products of the land. Take them to the man as gifts—balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double money so that you can pay back what was in the mouths of your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake, 13 and take your brother and go. 14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he will release Simeon and return Benjamin. And if I must bear the anguish of their deaths, then so be it.”

15 So they took the gifts and double money and went to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them home and prepare a big feast.” 17 So the man did as he was told and took them to Joseph’s palace. 18 They were badly frightened when they saw where they were being taken.

“It’s because of the money returned to us in our sacks,” they said. “He wants to pretend we stole it and seize us as slaves, with our donkeys.”

19 As they arrived at the entrance to the palace, they went over to Joseph’s household manager, 20 and said to him, “O sir, after our first trip to Egypt to buy food, 21 as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks, and the money was there that we had paid for the grain. Here it is; we have brought it back again, 22 along with additional money to buy more grain. We have no idea how the money got into our sacks.”

23 “Don’t worry about it,” the household manager told them; “your God, even the God of your fathers, must have put it there, for we collected your money all right.”

Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them. 24 They were then conducted into the palace and given water to refresh their feet; and their donkeys were fed. 25 Then they got their presents ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they were told that they would be eating there. 26 When Joseph came home they gave him their presents, bowing low before him.

27 He asked how they had been getting along. “And how is your father—the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”

28 “Yes,” they replied. “He is alive and well.” Then again they bowed before him.

29 Looking at his brother Benjamin,[l] he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about? How are you, my son? God be gracious to you.” 30 Then Joseph made a hasty exit, for he was overcome with love for his brother and had to go out and cry. Going into his bedroom, he wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out, keeping himself under control. “Let’s eat,” he said.

32 Joseph ate by himself, his brothers were served at a separate table, and the Egyptians at still another; for Egyptians despise Hebrews and never eat with them. 33 He told each of them where to sit, and seated them in the order of their ages, from the oldest to the youngest, much to their amazement! 34 Their food was served to them from his own table. He gave the largest serving to Benjamin—five times as much as to any of the others! They had a wonderful time bantering back and forth, and the wine flowed freely!

44 When his brothers were ready to leave,[m] Joseph ordered his household manager to fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they could carry—and to put into the mouth of each man’s sack the money he had paid! He was also told to put Joseph’s own silver cup at the top of Benjamin’s sack, along with the grain money. So the household manager did as he was told. The brothers were up at dawn and on their way with their loaded donkeys.

But when they were barely out of the city, Joseph said to his household manager, “Chase after them and stop them and ask them why they are acting like this when their benefactor has been so kind to them? Ask them, ‘What do you mean by stealing my lord’s personal silver drinking cup, which he uses for fortune-telling? What a wicked thing you have done!’” So he caught up with them and spoke to them along the lines he had been instructed.

“What in the world are you talking about?” they demanded. “What kind of people do you think we are, that you accuse us of such a terrible thing as that? Didn’t we bring back the money we found in the mouth of our sacks? Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? If you find his cup with any one of us, let that one die. And all the rest of us will be slaves forever to your master.”

10 “Fair enough,” the man replied, “except that only the one who stole it will be a slave, and the rest of you can go free.”

11 They quickly took down their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. 12 He began searching the oldest brother’s sack, going on down the line to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s! 13 They ripped their clothing in despair, loaded the donkeys again, and returned to the city. 14 Joseph was still home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.

15 “What were you trying to do?” Joseph demanded. “Didn’t you know such a man as I would know who stole it?”

16 And Judah said, “Oh, what shall we say to my lord? How can we plead? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. Sir, we have all returned to be your slaves, both we and he in whose sack the cup was found.”

17 “No,” Joseph said. “Only the man who stole the cup, he shall be my slave. The rest of you can go on home to your father.”

18 Then Judah stepped forward and said, “O sir, let me say just this one word to you. Be patient with me for a moment, for I know you can doom me in an instant, as though you were Pharaoh himself.

19 “Sir, you asked us if we had a father or a brother, 20 and we said, ‘Yes, 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’s children, and his father loves him very much.’ 21 And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so that I can see him.’ 22 But we said to you, ‘Sir, the lad cannot leave his father, for his father would die.’ 23 But you told us, ‘Don’t come back here unless your youngest brother is with you.’ 24 So we returned to our father and told him what you had said. 25 And when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us a little food,’ 26 we replied, ‘We can’t, unless you let our youngest brother go with us. Only then may we come.’

27 “Then my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife had two sons, 28 and that one of them went away and never returned—doubtless torn to pieces by some wild animal; I have never seen him since. 29 And if you take away his brother from me also, and any harm befalls him, I shall die with sorrow.’ 30 And now, sir, if I go back to my father and the lad is not with us—seeing that our father’s life is bound up in the lad’s life— 31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die; and we will be responsible for bringing down his gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 32 Sir, I pledged my father that I would take care of the lad. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I shall bear the blame forever.’ 33 Please sir, let me stay here as a slave instead of the lad, and let the lad return with his brothers. 34 For how shall I return to my father if the lad is not with me? I cannot bear to see what this would do to him.”

45 Joseph could stand it no longer.

“Out, all of you,” he cried out to his attendants, and he was left alone with his brothers. Then he wept aloud. His sobs could be heard throughout the palace, and the news was quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.

“I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers couldn’t say a word, they were so stunned with surprise.

“Come over here,” he said. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt! But don’t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it! He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. These two years of famine will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive, so that you will become a great nation. Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh, and manager of this entire nation, ruler of all the land of Egypt.

“Hurry, return to my father and tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says, “God has made me chief of all the land of Egypt. Come down to me right away! 10 You shall live in the land of Goshen so that you can be near me with all your children, your grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all that you have. 11-12 I will take care of you there”’ (you men are witnesses of my promise, and my brother Benjamin has heard me say it) ‘“for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you will come to utter poverty along with all your household.”’ 13 Tell our father about all my power here in Egypt, and how everyone obeys me. And bring him to me quickly.”

14 Then, weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin and Benjamin began weeping too. 15 And he did the same with each of his brothers, who finally found their tongues! 16 The news soon reached Pharaoh—“Joseph’s brothers have come”; and Pharaoh was very happy to hear it, as were his officials.

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers to load their pack animals and return quickly to their homes in Canaan, 18 and to bring your father and all of your families and come here to Egypt to live. Tell them, ‘Pharaoh will assign to you the very best territory in the land of Egypt. You shall live off the fat of the land!’ 19 And tell your brothers to take wagons from Egypt to carry their wives and little ones, and to bring your father here. 20 Don’t worry about your property, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.”

21 So Joseph gave them wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and provisions for the journey, 22 and he gave each of them new clothes—but to Benjamin he gave five changes of clothes and three hundred pieces of silver! 23 He sent his father ten donkey-loads of the good things of Egypt, and ten donkeys loaded with grain and all kinds of other food, to eat on his journey. 24 So he sent his brothers off.

“Don’t quarrel along the way!” was his parting shot! 25 And leaving, they returned to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.

26 “Joseph is alive,” they shouted to him. “And he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” But Jacob’s heart was like a stone; he couldn’t take it in. 27 But when they had given him Joseph’s messages, and when he saw the wagons filled with food that Joseph had sent him, his spirit revived.

28 And he said, “It must be true! Joseph my son is alive! I will go and see him before I die.”

46 So Israel set out with all his possessions, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices there to the God of his father, Isaac. During the night God spoke to him in a vision.

“Jacob! Jacob!” he called.

“Yes?” Jacob answered.

3-4 “I am God,” the voice replied, “the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will see to it that you become a great nation there. And I will go down with you into Egypt and I will bring your descendants back again; but you shall die in Egypt with Joseph at your side.”

So Jacob left Beer-sheba, and his sons brought him to Egypt, along with their little ones and their wives, in the wagons Pharaoh had provided for them. They brought their livestock, too, and all their belongings accumulated in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt—Jacob and all his children, sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters—all his loved ones.

8-14 Here are the names of his sons and grandchildren who went with him into Egypt:

Reuben, his oldest son;

Reuben’s sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

Simeon and his sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul (Shaul’s mother was a girl from Canaan).

Levi and his sons: Gershon, Kohath, Merari.

Judah and his sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, Zerah (however, Er and Onan died while still in Canaan, before Israel went to Egypt).

The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

Issachar and his sons: Tola, Puvah, Iob, Shimron.

Zebulun and his sons: Sered, Elon, Jahleel.

15 So these descendants of Jacob and Leah, not including their daughter Dinah, born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, were thirty-three in all.

16-17 Also accompanying him were:

Gad and his sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

Asher and his sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and a sister, Serah.

Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malchiel.

18 These sixteen persons were the sons of Jacob and Zilpah, the slave girl given to Leah by her father, Laban.

19-22 Also in the total of Jacob’s household were these fourteen sons and descendants of Jacob and Rachel:

Joseph and Benjamin;

Joseph’s sons, born in the land of Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephraim (their mother was Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis);

Benjamin’s sons: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

23-25 Also in the group were these seven sons and descendants of Jacob and Bilhah, the slave girl given to Rachel by her father, Laban:

Dan and his son: Hushim.

Naphtali and his sons: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

26 So the total number of those going to Egypt, of his own descendants, not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons, was sixty-six. 27 With Joseph and his two sons included, the total number of people in Jacob’s household there in Egypt was seventy.

28 Jacob sent Judah on ahead to tell Joseph that they were on the way, and would soon arrive in Goshen—which they did. 29 Joseph jumped into his chariot and journeyed to Goshen to meet his father and they fell into each other’s arms and wept a long while.

30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, for I have seen you again and know you are alive.”

31 And Joseph said to his brothers and to all their households, “I’ll go and tell Pharaoh that you are here, and that you have come from the land of Canaan to join me. 32 And I will tell him, ‘These men are shepherds. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 So when Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, 34 tell him, ‘We have been shepherds from our youth, as our fathers have been for many generations.’ When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the land of Goshen.” For shepherds were despised and hated in other parts of Egypt.

47 Upon their arrival, Joseph went in to see Pharaoh.

“My father and my brothers are here from Canaan,” he reported, “with all their flocks and herds and possessions. They wish to settle in the land of Goshen.”

He took five of his brothers with him, and presented them to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh asked them, “What is your occupation?”

And they replied, “We are shepherds like our ancestors. We have come to live here in Egypt, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan—the famine is very bitter there. We request permission to live in the land of Goshen.”

5-6 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Choose anywhere you like for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. The land of Goshen will be fine. And if any of them are capable, put them in charge of my flocks, too.”

Then Joseph brought his father Jacob to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

“How old are you?” Pharaoh asked him.

Jacob replied, “I have lived 130 long, hard years, and I am not nearly as old as many of my ancestors.” 10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before he left.

11 So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the land of Rameses—to his father and brothers, just as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph furnished food to them in accordance with the number of their dependents.

13 The famine became worse and worse, so that all the land of Egypt and Canaan was starving. 14 Joseph collected all the money in Egypt and Canaan in exchange for grain, and he brought the money to Pharaoh’s treasure-houses. 15 When the people were out of money, they came to Joseph crying again for food.

“Our money is gone,” they said, “but give us bread; for why should we die?”

16 “Well then,” Joseph replied, “give me your livestock. I will trade you food in exchange.”

17 So they brought their cattle to Joseph in exchange for food. Soon all the horses, flocks, herds, and donkeys of Egypt were in Pharaoh’s possession.

18 The next year they came again and said, “Our money is gone, and our cattle are yours, and there is nothing left but our bodies and land. 19 Why should we die? Buy us and our land and we will be serfs to Pharaoh. We will trade ourselves for food, then we will live, and the land won’t be abandoned.”

20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; all the Egyptians sold him their fields because the famine was so severe. And the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 Thus all the people of Egypt became Pharaoh’s serfs. 22 The only land he didn’t buy was that belonging to the priests, for they were assigned food from Pharaoh and didn’t need to sell.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “See, I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is grain. Go and sow the land. 24 And when you harvest it, a fifth of everything you get belongs to Pharaoh. Keep four parts for yourselves to be used for next year’s seed, and as food for yourselves and for your households and little ones.”

25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “We will gladly be the serfs of Pharaoh.”

26 So Joseph made it a law throughout the land of Egypt—and it is still the law—that Pharaoh should have as his tax 20 percent of all the crops except those produced on the land owned by the temples.

27 So Israel lived in the land of Goshen in Egypt, and soon the people of Israel began to prosper, and there was a veritable population explosion among them. 28 Jacob lived seventeen years after his arrival, so that he was 147 years old at the time of his death. 29 As the time drew near for him to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “Swear to me most solemnly that you will honor this, my last request: do not bury me in Egypt. 30 But when I am dead, take me out of Egypt and bury me beside my ancestors.” And Joseph promised. 31 “Swear that you will do it,” Jacob insisted. And Joseph did. Soon afterwards Jacob took to his bed.

48 One day not long after this, word came to Joseph that his father was failing rapidly. So, taking with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, he went to visit him. When Jacob heard that Joseph had arrived, he gathered his strength and sat up in the bed to greet him, and said to him,

“God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘I will make you a great nation and I will give this land of Canaan to you and to your children’s children, for an everlasting possession.’ And now, as to these two sons of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived, I am adopting them as my own, and they will inherit from me just as Reuben and Simeon will. But any other children born to you shall be your own, and shall inherit Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s portion from you. For your mother, Rachel, died after only two children[n] when I came from Paddan-aram, as we were just a short distance from Ephrath, and I buried her beside the road to Bethlehem.” Then Israel looked over at the two boys. “Are these the ones?” he asked.

“Yes,” Joseph told him, “these are my sons whom God has given me here in Egypt.”

And Israel said, “Bring them over to me and I will bless them.”

10 Israel was half blind with age, so that he could hardly see. So Joseph brought the boys close to him and he kissed and embraced them.

11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought that I would see you again, but now God has let me see your children too.”

12-13 Joseph took the boys by the hand, bowed deeply to him, and led the boys to their grandfather’s knees—Ephraim at Israel’s left hand and Manasseh at his right. 14 But Israel crossed his arms as he stretched them out to lay his hands upon the boys’ heads, so that his right hand was upon the head of Ephraim, the younger boy, and his left hand was upon the head of Manasseh, the older. He did this purposely.

15 Then he blessed Joseph with this blessing: “May God, the God of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, the God who has shepherded me all my life, wonderfully bless these boys. 16 He is the Angel who has kept me from all harm. May these boys be an honor to my name and to the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they become a mighty nation.”

17 But Joseph was upset and displeased when he saw that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head; so he lifted it to place it on Manasseh’s head instead.

18 “No, Father,” he said. “You’ve got your right hand on the wrong head! This one over here is the older. Put your right hand on him!”

19 But his father refused. “I know what I’m doing, my son,” he said. “Manasseh too shall become a great nation, but his younger brother shall become even greater.”

20 So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “May the people of Israel bless each other by saying, ‘God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” (Note that he put Ephraim before Manasseh.)

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to Canaan, the land of your fathers. 22 And I have given the choice land of Shekem to you instead of to your brothers, as your portion of that land which I took from the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

49 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me and I will tell you what is going to happen to you in the days to come. Listen to me, O sons of Jacob; listen to Israel your father.

“Reuben, you are my oldest son, the child of my vigorous youth. You are the head of the list in rank and in honor. But you are unruly as the wild waves of the sea, and you shall be first no longer. I am demoting you, for you slept with one of my wives and thus dishonored me.

“Simeon and Levi are two of a kind. They are men of violence and injustice. O my soul, stay away from them. May I never be a party to their wicked plans. For in their anger they murdered a man, and maimed oxen just for fun. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce and cruel. Therefore, I will scatter their descendants throughout Israel.[o]

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you. You shall destroy your enemies. Your father’s sons shall bow before you. Judah is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. He has settled down as a lion—who will dare to rouse him? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes,[p] whom all people shall obey. 11 He has chained his steed to the choicest vine and washed his clothes in wine.[q] 12 His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth are whiter than milk.

13 “Zebulun shall dwell on the shores of the sea and shall be a harbor for ships, with his borders extending to Sidon.

14 “Issachar is a strong beast of burden resting among the saddlebags. 15 When he saw how good the countryside was, how pleasant the land, he willingly bent his shoulder to the task and served his masters with vigor.

16 “Dan shall govern his people like any other tribe in Israel. 17 He shall be a serpent in the path that bites the horses’ heels, so that the rider falls off. 18 I trust in your salvation, Lord.

19 “A marauding band shall stamp upon Gad, but he shall rob and pursue them!

20 “Asher shall produce rich foods, fit for kings!

21 “Naphtali is a deer let loose, producing lovely fawns.

22 “Joseph is a fruitful tree beside a fountain. His branches shade the wall. 23 He has been severely injured by those who shot at him and persecuted him, 24 but their weapons were shattered by the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. 25 May the God of your fathers, the Almighty, bless you with blessings of heaven above and of the earth beneath—blessings of the breasts and of the womb, 26 blessings of the grain and flowers, blessings reaching to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills. These shall be the blessings upon the head of Joseph who was exiled from his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is a wolf that prowls. He devours his enemies in the morning, and in the evening divides the loot.”

28 So these are the blessings that Israel, their father, blessed his twelve sons with.

29-30 Then he told them, “Soon I will die. You must bury me with my fathers in the land of Canaan, in the cave in the field of Mach-pelah, facing Mamre—the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hethite for a burial ground. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife; and there I buried Leah. 32 It is the cave which my grandfather Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 Then, when Jacob had finished his prophecies to his sons, he lay back in the bed, breathed his last, and died.

50 Joseph threw himself upon his father’s body and wept over him and kissed him. Afterwards he commanded his morticians to embalm the body. The embalming process required forty days, with a period of national mourning of seventy days. Then, when at last the mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh’s staff and requested them to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf.

“Tell His Majesty,” he requested them, “that Joseph’s father made Joseph swear to take his body back to the land of Canaan, to bury him there. Ask His Majesty to permit me to go and bury my father; assure him that I will return promptly.”

Pharaoh agreed. “Go and bury your father, as you promised,” he said.

So Joseph went, and a great number of Pharaoh’s counselors and assistants—all the senior officers of the land, as well as all of Joseph’s people—his brothers and their families. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. So a very great number of chariots, cavalry, and people accompanied Joseph.

10 When they arrived at Atad[r] (meaning “Threshing Place of Brambles”), beyond the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn funeral service, with a seven-day period of lamentation for Joseph’s father. 11 The local residents, the Canaanites, renamed the place Abel-mizraim (meaning “Egyptian Mourners”) for they said, “It is a place of very deep mourning by these Egyptians.” 12-13 So his sons did as Israel commanded them, and carried his body into the land of Canaan and buried it there in the cave of Mach-pelah—the cave Abraham had bought in the field of Ephron the Hethite, close to Mamre.

14 Then Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to the funeral of his father. 15 But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers were frightened.

“Now Joseph will pay us back for all the evil we did to him,” they said. 16-17 So they sent him this message: “Before he died, your father instructed us to tell you to forgive us for the great evil we did to you. We servants of the God of your father beg you to forgive us.” When Joseph read the message, he broke down and cried.

18 Then his brothers came and fell down before him and said, “We are your slaves.”

19 But Joseph told them, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you? 20 As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil, for he brought me to this high position I have today so that I could save the lives of many people. 21 No, don’t be afraid. Indeed, I myself will take care of you and your families.” And he spoke very kindly to them, reassuring them.

22 So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph was 110 years old when he died. 23 He lived to see the birth of his son Ephraim’s children, and the children of Machir, Manasseh’s son, who played at his feet.

24 “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come and get you, and bring you out of this land of Egypt and take you back to the land he promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made his brothers promise with an oath that they would take his body back with them when they returned to Canaan. 26 So Joseph died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 37:3 a brightly colored coat, more literally, “an ornamented tunic” or “long-sleeved tunic.”
  2. Genesis 37:28 traders, literally, “Midianites.”
  3. Genesis 37:29 who was away when the traders came by, implied.
  4. Genesis 38:9 although he married her, implied. he spilled the sperm on the bed, literally, “spilled it on the ground.”
  5. Genesis 39:12 sleeve. The Hebrew word is not specific.
  6. Genesis 41:34 Let Pharaoh divide Egypt into five administrative districts, or “Let Pharaoh appoint officials to collect a fifth of all the crops.”
  7. Genesis 41:45 He has the godlike power of life and death, or “God (or Pharaoh) says, ‘He is living.’” he gave him a wife, a . . . daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. Joseph married into a family of high nobility, for his father-in-law was a major priest and politician of that time.
  8. Genesis 42:3 ten older, implied.
  9. Genesis 42:4 as it had to his brother Joseph, implied.
  10. Genesis 42:14 What does that prove? literally, “It is as I said: you are spies.”
  11. Genesis 42:19 I’m going to take a chance that you are honorable, literally, “if you are forthright men.”
  12. Genesis 43:29 his brother Benjamin, literally, “his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son.”
  13. Genesis 44:1 When his brothers were ready to leave, implied.
  14. Genesis 48:7 after only two children, implied.
  15. Genesis 49:7 I will scatter their descendants throughout Israel. That is, the tribes of Simeon and Levi were not given land holdings, as were their brother tribes.
  16. Genesis 49:10 until Shiloh comes means also “until he comes to whom it belongs.”
  17. Genesis 49:11 washed his clothes in wine, showing wealth and extravagance.
  18. Genesis 50:10 Atad, located just west of the Jordan River, near Jericho.