The Gospel of Mark (Part Six)

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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch35" data-usfm="GEN.35">
 <div class="label">35</div><div class="s1">Jacob Returns to Bethel</div><div class="p"> 1Then God said to Jacob, &#8220;Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, &#8220;Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.&#8221; 4So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.</div><div class="p"> 6Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel,#35:7 El Bethel means God of Bethel. because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.</div><div class="p"> 8Now Deborah, Rebekah&#8217;s nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth.#35:8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping.</div><div class="p"> 9After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,#35:9 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26 God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10God said to him, &#8220;Your name is Jacob,#35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives. but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.#35:10 Israel probably means he struggles with God.&#8221; So he named him Israel.</div><div class="p"> 11And God said to him, &#8220;I am God Almighty#35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. 12The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.&#8221; 13Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.</div><div class="p"> 14Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.#35:15 Bethel means house of God.</div><div class="s1">The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac</div><div class="p"> 16Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, &#8220;Don&#8217;t despair, for you have another son.&#8221; 18As she breathed her last&#8212;for she was dying&#8212;she named her son Ben-Oni.#35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble. But his father named him Benjamin.#35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.</div><div class="p"> 19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel&#8217;s tomb.</div><div class="p"> 21Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father&#8217;s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="m">Jacob had twelve sons:</div><div class="li1"> 23The sons of Leah:</div><div class="li2">Reuben the firstborn of Jacob,</div><div class="li2">Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.</div><div class="li1"> 24The sons of Rachel:</div><div class="li2">Joseph and Benjamin.</div><div class="li1"> 25The sons of Rachel&#8217;s servant Bilhah:</div><div class="li2">Dan and Naphtali.</div><div class="li1"> 26The sons of Leah&#8217;s servant Zilpah:</div><div class="li2">Gad and Asher.</div><div class="p">These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 27Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. 29Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch36" data-usfm="GEN.36">
 <div class="label">36</div><div class="s1">Esau&#8217;s Descendants</div><div class="p"> 1This is the account of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom).</div><div class="pm"> 2Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite&#8212; 3also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.</div><div class="pm"> 4Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, 5and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan.</div><div class="pm"> 6Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the members of his household, as well as his livestock and all his other animals and all the goods he had acquired in Canaan, and moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob. 7Their possessions were too great for them to remain together; the land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock. 8So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir.</div><div class="p"> 9This is the account of the family line of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="li1"> 10These are the names of Esau&#8217;s sons:</div><div class="li2">Eliphaz, the son of Esau&#8217;s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau&#8217;s wife Basemath.</div><div class="li1"> 11The sons of Eliphaz:</div><div class="li2">Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz.</div><div class="li2"> 12Esau&#8217;s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These were grandsons of Esau&#8217;s wife Adah.</div><div class="li1"> 13The sons of Reuel:</div><div class="li2">Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were grandsons of Esau&#8217;s wife Basemath.</div><div class="li4"> 14The sons of Esau&#8217;s wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, whom she bore to Esau:</div><div class="li2">Jeush, Jalam and Korah.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 15These were the chiefs among Esau&#8217;s descendants:</div><div class="li1">The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau:</div><div class="li2">Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16Korah,#36:16 Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch (also verse 11 and 1 Chron. 1:36) does not have Korah. Gatam and Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in Edom; they were grandsons of Adah.</div><div class="li1"> 17The sons of Esau&#8217;s son Reuel:</div><div class="li2">Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in Edom; they were grandsons of Esau&#8217;s wife Basemath.</div><div class="li1"> 18The sons of Esau&#8217;s wife Oholibamah:</div><div class="li2">Chiefs Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau&#8217;s wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah.</div><div class="p"> 19These were the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these were their chiefs.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 20These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the region:</div><div class="li2">Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These sons of Seir in Edom were Horite chiefs.</div><div class="li1"> 22The sons of Lotan:</div><div class="li2">Hori and Homam.#36:22 Hebrew Hemam, a variant of Homam (see 1 Chron. 1:39) Timna was Lotan&#8217;s sister.</div><div class="li1"> 23The sons of Shobal:</div><div class="li2">Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam.</div><div class="li1"> 24The sons of Zibeon:</div><div class="li2">Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs#36:24 Vulgate; Syriac discovered water; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.</div><div class="li1"> 25The children of Anah:</div><div class="li2">Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.</div><div class="li1"> 26The sons of Dishon#36:26 Hebrew Dishan, a variant of Dishon:</div><div class="li2">Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran.</div><div class="li1"> 27The sons of Ezer:</div><div class="li2">Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan.</div><div class="li1"> 28The sons of Dishan:</div><div class="li2">Uz and Aran.</div><div class="li1"> 29These were the Horite chiefs:</div><div class="li2">Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These were the Horite chiefs, according to their divisions, in the land of Seir.</div><div class="s1">The Rulers of Edom</div><div class="p"> 31These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned:</div><div class="li1"> 32Bela son of Beor became king of Edom. His city was named Dinhabah.</div><div class="li1"> 33When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah succeeded him as king.</div><div class="li1"> 34When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king.</div><div class="li1"> 35When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith.</div><div class="li1"> 36When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king.</div><div class="li1"> 37When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him as king.</div><div class="li1"> 38When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Akbor succeeded him as king.</div><div class="li1"> 39When Baal-Hanan son of Akbor died, Hadad#36:39 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 1:50); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Hadar succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife&#8217;s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 40These were the chiefs descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions:</div><div class="li2">Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they occupied.</div><div class="p">This is the family line of Esau, the father of the Edomites.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch37" data-usfm="GEN.37">
 <div class="label">37</div><div class="s1">Joseph&#8217;s Dreams</div><div class="p"> 1Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 2This is the account of Jacob&#8217;s family line.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father&#8217;s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.</div><div class="p"> 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate#37:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32. robe for him. 4When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.</div><div class="p"> 5Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6He said to them, &#8220;Listen to this dream I had: 7We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8His brothers said to him, &#8220;Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?&#8221; And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.</div><div class="p"> 9Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. &#8220;Listen,&#8221; he said, &#8220;I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, &#8220;What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?&#8221; 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.</div><div class="s1">Joseph Sold by His Brothers</div><div class="p"> 12Now his brothers had gone to graze their father&#8217;s flocks near Shechem, 13and Israel said to Joseph, &#8220;As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Very well,&#8221; he replied.</div><div class="p"> 14So he said to him, &#8220;Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.&#8221; Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.</div><div class="p">When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, &#8220;What are you looking for?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16He replied, &#8220;I&#8217;m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17&#8220;They have moved on from here,&#8221; the man answered. &#8220;I heard them say, &#8216;Let&#8217;s go to Dothan.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p">So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;Here comes that dreamer!&#8221; they said to each other. 20&#8220;Come now, let&#8217;s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we&#8217;ll see what comes of his dreams.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. &#8220;Let&#8217;s not take his life,&#8221; he said. 22&#8220;Don&#8217;t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don&#8217;t lay a hand on him.&#8221; Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.</div><div class="p"> 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe&#8212;the ornate robe he was wearing&#8212; 24and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.</div><div class="p"> 25As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.</div><div class="p"> 26Judah said to his brothers, &#8220;What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27Come, let&#8217;s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.&#8221; His brothers agreed.</div><div class="p"> 28So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels#37:28 That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.</div><div class="p"> 29When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. 30He went back to his brothers and said, &#8220;The boy isn&#8217;t there! Where can I turn now?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 31Then they got Joseph&#8217;s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, &#8220;We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son&#8217;s robe.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33He recognized it and said, &#8220;It is my son&#8217;s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. &#8220;No,&#8221; he said, &#8220;I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.&#8221; So his father wept for him.</div><div class="p"> 36Meanwhile, the Midianites#37:36 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse 28); Masoretic Text Medanites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh&#8217;s officials, the captain of the guard.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch38" data-usfm="GEN.38">
 <div class="label">38</div><div class="s1">Judah and Tamar</div><div class="p"> 1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. 5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.</div><div class="p"> 6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7But Er, Judah&#8217;s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord&#8217;s sight; so the Lord put him to death.</div><div class="p"> 8Then Judah said to Onan, &#8220;Sleep with your brother&#8217;s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.&#8221; 9But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother&#8217;s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10What he did was wicked in the Lord&#8217;s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.</div><div class="p"> 11Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, &#8220;Live as a widow in your father&#8217;s household until my son Shelah grows up.&#8221; For he thought, &#8220;He may die too, just like his brothers.&#8221; So Tamar went to live in her father&#8217;s household.</div><div class="p"> 12After a long time Judah&#8217;s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.</div><div class="p"> 13When Tamar was told, &#8220;Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,&#8221; 14she took off her widow&#8217;s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.</div><div class="p"> 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, &#8220;Come now, let me sleep with you.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;And what will you give me to sleep with you?&#8221; she asked.</div><div class="p"> 17&#8220;I&#8217;ll send you a young goat from my flock,&#8221; he said.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?&#8221; she asked.</div><div class="p"> 18He said, &#8220;What pledge should I give you?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,&#8221; she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow&#8217;s clothes again.</div><div class="p"> 20Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21He asked the men who lived there, &#8220;Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;There hasn&#8217;t been any shrine prostitute here,&#8221; they said.</div><div class="p"> 22So he went back to Judah and said, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, &#8216;There hasn&#8217;t been any shrine prostitute here.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23Then Judah said, &#8220;Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn&#8217;t find her.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24About three months later Judah was told, &#8220;Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Judah said, &#8220;Bring her out and have her burned to death!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. &#8220;I am pregnant by the man who owns these,&#8221; she said. And she added, &#8220;See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26Judah recognized them and said, &#8220;She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn&#8217;t give her to my son Shelah.&#8221; And he did not sleep with her again.</div><div class="p"> 27When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, &#8220;This one came out first.&#8221; 29But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, &#8220;So this is how you have broken out!&#8221; And he was named Perez.#38:29 Perez means breaking out. 30Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.#38:30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch39" data-usfm="GEN.39">
 <div class="label">39</div><div class="s1">Joseph and Potiphar&#8217;s Wife</div><div class="p"> 1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh&#8217;s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.</div><div class="p"> 2The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph&#8217;s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.</div><div class="p">Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7and after a while his master&#8217;s wife took notice of Joseph and said, &#8220;Come to bed with me!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8But he refused. &#8220;With me in charge,&#8221; he told her, &#8220;my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?&#8221; 10And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.</div><div class="p"> 11One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12She caught him by his cloak and said, &#8220;Come to bed with me!&#8221; But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.</div><div class="p"> 13When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14she called her household servants. &#8220;Look,&#8221; she said to them, &#8220;this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17Then she told him this story: &#8220;That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, &#8220;This is how your slave treated me,&#8221; he burned with anger. 20Joseph&#8217;s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king&#8217;s prisoners were confined.</div><div class="p">But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph&#8217;s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch40" data-usfm="GEN.40">
 <div class="label">40</div><div class="s1">The Cupbearer and the Baker</div><div class="p"> 1Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.</div><div class="p">After they had been in custody for some time, 5each of the two men&#8212;the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison&#8212;had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.</div><div class="p"> 6When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7So he asked Pharaoh&#8217;s officials who were in custody with him in his master&#8217;s house, &#8220;Why do you look so sad today?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;We both had dreams,&#8221; they answered, &#8220;but there is no one to interpret them.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Then Joseph said to them, &#8220;Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, &#8220;In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11Pharaoh&#8217;s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh&#8217;s cup and put the cup in his hand.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;This is what it means,&#8221; Joseph said to him. &#8220;The three branches are three days. 13Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh&#8217;s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, &#8220;I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread.#40:16 Or three wicker baskets 17In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18&#8220;This is what it means,&#8221; Joseph said. &#8220;The three baskets are three days. 19Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20Now the third day was Pharaoh&#8217;s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh&#8217;s hand&#8212; 22but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.</div><div class="p"> 23The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.</div>
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 <div class="label">41</div><div class="s1">Pharaoh&#8217;s Dreams</div><div class="p"> 1When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, 2when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 3After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 4And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.</div><div class="p"> 5He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. 6After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted&#8212;thin and scorched by the east wind. 7The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.</div><div class="p"> 8In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.</div><div class="p"> 9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, &#8220;Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. 10Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 11Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 12Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. 13And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.</div><div class="p"> 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, &#8220;I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16&#8220;I cannot do it,&#8221; Joseph replied to Pharaoh, &#8220;but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, &#8220;In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. 19After them, seven other cows came up&#8212;scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.</div><div class="p"> 22&#8220;In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23After them, seven other heads sprouted&#8212;withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, &#8220;The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.</div><div class="p"> 28&#8220;It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.</div><div class="p"> 33&#8220;And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 37The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38So Pharaoh asked them, &#8220;Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God#41:38 Or of the gods?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, &#8220;Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Joseph in Charge of Egypt</div><div class="p"> 41So Pharaoh said to Joseph, &#8220;I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.&#8221; 42Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph&#8217;s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,#41:43 Or in the chariot of his second-in-command; or in his second chariot and people shouted before him, &#8220;Make way#41:43 Or Bow down!&#8221; Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.</div><div class="p"> 44Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, &#8220;I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.&#8221; 45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,#41:45 That is, Heliopolis; also in verse 50 to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.</div><div class="p"> 46Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh&#8217;s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.</div><div class="p"> 50Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh#41:51 Manasseh sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for forget. and said, &#8220;It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father&#8217;s household.&#8221; 52The second son he named Ephraim#41:52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for twice fruitful. and said, &#8220;It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 53The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, &#8220;Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 56When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.</div>
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 <div class="label">42</div><div class="s1">Joseph&#8217;s Brothers Go to Egypt</div><div class="p"> 1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, &#8220;Why do you just keep looking at each other?&#8221; 2He continued, &#8220;I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3Then ten of Joseph&#8217;s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph&#8217;s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. 5So Israel&#8217;s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.</div><div class="p"> 6Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph&#8217;s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. &#8220;Where do you come from?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;From the land of Canaan,&#8221; they replied, &#8220;to buy food.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, &#8220;You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;No, my lord,&#8221; they answered. &#8220;Your servants have come to buy food. 11We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;No!&#8221; he said to them. &#8220;You have come to see where our land is unprotected.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13But they replied, &#8220;Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14Joseph said to them, &#8220;It is just as I told you: You are spies! 15And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!&#8221; 17And he put them all in custody for three days.</div><div class="p"> 18On the third day, Joseph said to them, &#8220;Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. 20But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.&#8221; This they proceeded to do.</div><div class="p"> 21They said to one another, &#8220;Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that&#8217;s why this distress has come on us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22Reuben replied, &#8220;Didn&#8217;t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn&#8217;t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.&#8221; 23They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.</div><div class="p"> 24He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.</div><div class="p"> 25Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man&#8217;s silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.</div><div class="p"> 27At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. 28&#8220;My silver has been returned,&#8221; he said to his brothers. &#8220;Here it is in my sack.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, &#8220;What is this that God has done to us?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30&#8220;The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. 31But we said to him, &#8216;We are honest men; we are not spies. 32We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 33&#8220;Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, &#8216;This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade#42:34 Or move about freely in the land.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 35As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man&#8217;s sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36Their father Jacob said to them, &#8220;You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 37Then Reuben said to his father, &#8220;You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 38But Jacob said, &#8220;My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.&#8221;</div>
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 <div class="label">43</div><div class="s1">The Second Journey to Egypt</div><div class="p"> 1Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, &#8220;Go back and buy us a little more food.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3But Judah said to him, &#8220;The man warned us solemnly, &#8216;You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.&#8217; 4If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, &#8216;You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6Israel asked, &#8220;Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7They replied, &#8220;The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. &#8216;Is your father still living?&#8217; he asked us. &#8216;Do you have another brother?&#8217; We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, &#8216;Bring your brother down here&#8217;?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Then Judah said to Israel his father, &#8220;Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11Then their father Israel said to them, &#8220;If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift&#8212;a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14And may God Almighty#43:14 Hebrew El-Shaddai grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, &#8220;Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph&#8217;s house. 18Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, &#8220;We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19So they went up to Joseph&#8217;s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20&#8220;We beg your pardon, our lord,&#8221; they said, &#8220;we came down here the first time to buy food. 21But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver&#8212;the exact weight&#8212;in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. 22We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don&#8217;t know who put our silver in our sacks.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23&#8220;It&#8217;s all right,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.&#8221; Then he brought Simeon out to them.</div><div class="p"> 24The steward took the men into Joseph&#8217;s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25They prepared their gifts for Joseph&#8217;s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.</div><div class="p"> 26When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. 27He asked them how they were, and then he said, &#8220;How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 28They replied, &#8220;Your servant our father is still alive and well.&#8221; And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.</div><div class="p"> 29As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother&#8217;s son, he asked, &#8220;Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?&#8221; And he said, &#8220;God be gracious to you, my son.&#8221; 30Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.</div><div class="p"> 31After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, &#8220;Serve the food.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. 33The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. 34When portions were served to them from Joseph&#8217;s table, Benjamin&#8217;s portion was five times as much as anyone else&#8217;s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.</div>
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 <div class="label">44</div><div class="s1">A Silver Cup in a Sack</div><div class="p"> 1Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: &#8220;Fill the men&#8217;s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man&#8217;s silver in the mouth of his sack. 2Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one&#8217;s sack, along with the silver for his grain.&#8221; And he did as Joseph said.</div><div class="p"> 3As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, &#8220;Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, &#8216;Why have you repaid good with evil? 5Isn&#8217;t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7But they said to him, &#8220;Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master&#8217;s house? 9If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord&#8217;s slaves.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;Very well, then,&#8221; he said, &#8220;let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin&#8217;s sack. 13At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.</div><div class="p"> 14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15Joseph said to them, &#8220;What is this you have done? Don&#8217;t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16&#8220;What can we say to my lord?&#8221; Judah replied. &#8220;What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants&#8217; guilt. We are now my lord&#8217;s slaves&#8212;we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17But Joseph said, &#8220;Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18Then Judah went up to him and said: &#8220;Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19My lord asked his servants, &#8216;Do you have a father or a brother?&#8217; 20And we answered, &#8216;We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother&#8217;s sons left, and his father loves him.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 21&#8220;Then you said to your servants, &#8216;Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.&#8217; 22And we said to my lord, &#8216;The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.&#8217; 23But you told your servants, &#8216;Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.&#8217; 24When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.</div><div class="p"> 25&#8220;Then our father said, &#8216;Go back and buy a little more food.&#8217; 26But we said, &#8216;We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man&#8217;s face unless our youngest brother is with us.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 27&#8220;Your servant my father said to us, &#8216;You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28One of them went away from me, and I said, &#8220;He has surely been torn to pieces.&#8221; And I have not seen him since. 29If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 30&#8220;So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy&#8217;s life, 31sees that the boy isn&#8217;t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. 32Your servant guaranteed the boy&#8217;s safety to my father. I said, &#8216;If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 33&#8220;Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord&#8217;s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.&#8221;</div>
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 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch45" data-usfm="GEN.45">
 <div class="label">45</div><div class="s1">Joseph Makes Himself Known</div><div class="p"> 1Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, &#8220;Have everyone leave my presence!&#8221; So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh&#8217;s household heard about it.</div><div class="p"> 3Joseph said to his brothers, &#8220;I am Joseph! Is my father still living?&#8221; But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.</div><div class="p"> 4Then Joseph said to his brothers, &#8220;Come close to me.&#8221; When they had done so, he said, &#8220;I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.#45:7 Or save you as a great band of survivors</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9Now hurry back to my father and say to him, &#8216;This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don&#8217;t delay. 10You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me&#8212;you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. 13Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.</div><div class="p"> 16When the news reached Pharaoh&#8217;s palace that Joseph&#8217;s brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. 17Pharaoh said to Joseph, &#8220;Tell your brothers, &#8216;Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, 18and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;You are also directed to tell them, &#8216;Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. 22To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels#45:22 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms of silver and five sets of clothes. 23And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. 24Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, &#8220;Don&#8217;t quarrel on the way!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26They told him, &#8220;Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.&#8221; Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. 27But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28And Israel said, &#8220;I&#8217;m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.&#8221;</div>
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