Bible in 90 Days

¹² Then Joseph said to him, “This is the meaning of it: The three branches are three days. ¹³ Before three days are over, Pharaoh will give you honor and return you to your place of work. You will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand just like you did before when you were his cup-carrier. ¹⁴ But remember me when it is well with you, and show me kindness. Say a good word about me to Pharaoh. Get me out of this prison. ¹⁵ For I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews. And here also I have done nothing for which they should put me in prison.”

¹⁶ The head bread-maker saw that the meaning of the dream was good. He said to Joseph, “I had a dream also. There were three baskets of white bread on my head. ¹⁷ All kinds of food for Pharaoh were in the top basket. But the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

¹⁸ Then Joseph answered, “This is the meaning of it: The three baskets are three days. ¹⁹ Within three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and put your body up on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.”

²⁰ On the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a special supper for his servants. He gave honor to the head cup-carrier and the head bread-maker among his servants. ²¹ He returned the head cup-carrier to his place of work and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. ²² But he killed the head bread-maker on a tree, just like Joseph had told them it would happen. ²³ Yet the head cup-carrier did not remember Joseph. He forgot him.

Joseph Tells What the King’s Dreams Mean

41 After two years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream. He dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River. ² And he saw seven cows coming out of the Nile. They were good-looking and fat, and they ate the grass beside the river. ³ Then he saw seven other cows coming out of the Nile after them. They looked bad and were thin. They stood by the other cows beside the Nile. ⁴ Then the bad looking cows that were thin ate the seven good-looking, fat cows, and Pharaoh awoke.

⁵ Then he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. He saw seven heads of grain growing on one stick of grain. They were large and full. ⁶ Then he saw seven heads of grain come after them, which were small and made dry by the east wind. ⁷ And the small heads of grain ate the seven large, full heads of grain.

Then Pharaoh awoke and saw that it was a dream. ⁸ So when morning came his spirit was troubled. He called for all the wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams. But there was no one who could tell Pharaoh the meaning of them.

⁹ Then the head cup-carrier said to Pharaoh, “I remember today what I have done wrong. ¹⁰ Pharaoh was angry with his servants. And he put me and the head bread-maker in prison in the house of the head of the soldiers. ¹¹ He and I had a dream on the same night. Each dream had its own meaning. ¹² A young Hebrew was there with us. He worked for the head of the soldiers. We told our dreams to him. And he told us the meaning of them. He told each of us what our different dreams meant. ¹³ And it happened just like he had said it would. I was returned to my place of work. The bread-maker was killed on a tree.”

¹⁴ Pharaoh then called for Joseph. And they brought him out of the prison in a hurry. He cut off the hair on his face and put on clean clothes. Then he came to Pharaoh. ¹⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream. But no one can tell me what it means. I have heard it said that you are able to hear a dream and tell what it means.” ¹⁶ Joseph answered Pharaoh, “Not by myself. God will give Pharaoh a good answer.” ¹⁷ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, I was standing beside the Nile. ¹⁸ I saw seven cows coming out of the Nile. They were fat and good-looking, and they ate the grass beside the river. ¹⁹ Then I saw seven other cows coming after them. They looked bad and were thin. I had never seen worse cows in all the land of Egypt. ²⁰ Then the bad looking cows that were thin ate the first seven fat cows. ²¹ But after they had eaten them, it could not be seen that they had eaten them. For they were just as bad looking as before. Then I awoke. ²² I saw also in my dream seven heads of grain growing on one stick of grain. They were large and full. ²³ Then I saw seven heads of grain come after them. They were small and were dry because of the east wind. ²⁴ The small heads of grain ate the seven good heads of grain. Then I told it to the wise men. But there was no one who could tell me what it means.”

²⁵ Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁶ The seven good cows are seven years. And the seven good heads of grain are seven years. The dreams are one and the same. ²⁷ The seven bad looking cows that are thin that came up after them are seven years. And the seven small heads of grain made dry by the east wind mean seven years without food. ²⁸ It is as I have said to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁹ Seven years are coming when there will be much food in all the land of Egypt. ³⁰ But after them will come seven years when there will be no food. The time of much food will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The time of no food will destroy the land. ³¹ The time without food will be so hard that no one in the land will remember when they had much. ³² That the dream was sent twice to Pharaoh shows that what will happen is planned by God. And God will make it happen soon.

³³ “So now let Pharaoh look for a man who is understanding and wise. Let the land of Egypt be put into his care. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh take action to choose men to watch over the land. And let him take a fifth part of the food of the land of Egypt during the seven years of much food. ³⁵ Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming. Have them store the grain under the power of Pharaoh, to be used as food in the cities. And let them keep it safe. ³⁶ This food will be kept for the people to eat during the seven years of no food that will come upon the land of Egypt. This way the land will not be destroyed during the time without food.”

Joseph Made Ruler over Egypt

³⁷ The plan pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. ³⁸ Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, who has in him the Spirit of God?” ³⁹ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all this, there is no one as understanding and wise as you are. ⁴⁰ My house will be put in your care. And all my people will do as you say. Only on the throne will I be greater than you.” ⁴¹ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have put you in power over all the land of Egypt.”

⁴² Then Pharaoh took the ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand. He dressed him in clothes of fine cloth. He put a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ He had him travel in his second wagon of honor. And they called out in front of him, “Bow down!” Pharaoh put him in power over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. But unless it is your will, no one will raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” ⁴⁵ Then Pharaoh gave Joseph the name of Zaphenath-paneah. He gave him for a wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera who was the religious leader of On. So Joseph went out through the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶ Joseph was thirty years old when he stood in front of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went from Pharaoh to visit every part of Egypt. ⁴⁷ During the seven good years the land brought much food. ⁴⁸ So he gathered into the cities all the food of these seven years when there was much in the land of Egypt. He put into each city the food from the fields around it. ⁴⁹ Joseph gathered as much grain as the sand of the sea. The time came when he stopped trying to know how much there was.

Joseph’s Two Sons

⁵⁰ Two sons were born to Joseph before the years without food came. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the religious leader of On, gave birth to them. ⁵¹ Joseph gave the first-born the name Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all those of my father’s house.” ⁵² He gave the second son the name of Ephraim. “For,” he said, “God has given me children in the land of my suffering.”

⁵³ The seven good years of much food in the land of Egypt came to an end. ⁵⁴ And the seven bad years of no food began, as Joseph had said. No food was growing in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was food. ⁵⁵ So when all the people of Egypt were hungry, they cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you.” ⁵⁶ When the hunger was spreading over all the earth, Joseph opened the store-houses. And he sold food to the Egyptians for the time without food had become hard in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷ The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the time without food was hard everywhere.

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

42 Now Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why are you looking at one another?” ² And he said, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us, so we may live and not die.” ³ So ten of Joseph’s brothers went to buy grain in Egypt. ⁴ But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers. For he said, “I am afraid that something will happen to him.”

Joseph’s Brothers Bow before Him

⁵ So the sons of Israel joined those who were coming to buy grain for there was no food in Canaan. ⁶ Joseph was the ruler of the land. He was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed to the ground in front of him. ⁷ When Joseph saw his brothers, he knew who they were. But he acted like a stranger and spoke sharp words to them. He said, “Where have you come from?” They answered, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

⁸ Joseph knew his brothers but they did not know him. ⁹ Joseph remembered the dreams he had had about them. He said to them, “You are spies. You have come to find the weak places in our land.” ¹⁰ They said to him, “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹ We are all sons of one man. We do not lie. Your servants are not working against you in secret.”

¹² He said to them, “No! You have come to find the weak places in our land!” ¹³ But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father. And one is no more.” ¹⁴ But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said. You are spies. ¹⁵ You will be put to a test. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. ¹⁶ Send one of you to bring your brother, and the rest of you will be kept in prison. Your words will be put to a test to see if you are telling the truth. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies for sure.”

¹⁷ He put them all together in prison for three days. ¹⁸ Then Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God. ¹⁹ If you are men who do not lie, let one of your brothers stay here in prison for all of you. But you others go and carry grain for your hungry families. ²⁰ Then bring your youngest brother to me, so your words will be proven true. And you will live.” So they did what he said. ²¹ They said to one another, “For sure we are guilty for what we did to our brother. We saw the suffering of his soul while he begged us. But we would not listen. So this trouble has come to us.”

²² Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy?’ But you would not listen. Now we must pay for his blood.” ²³ They did not know that Joseph understood them. For there was a man between them to tell the meaning of each other’s language. ²⁴ Joseph went away from them and cried. Then he returned to speak with them. And he took Simeon from them and put chains on him in front of his brothers.

Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan

²⁵ Then Joseph had their bags filled with grain. He had each man’s money returned to his bag, to buy what was needed as they traveled. So this was done for them. ²⁶ Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain, and left. ²⁷ When one of them opened his bag to give his donkey food at the place where they were staying the night, he saw his money. It was there at the top of his bag. ²⁸ He said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It is inside my bag!” Then their hearts became full of fear. They turned to each other, shaking in fear, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

²⁹ When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, ³⁰ “The man who is ruler of the land spoke sharp words to us. He thought that we had gone there to find the weak places in the country. ³¹ But we said to him, ‘We do not lie. We are not working against you in secret. ³² We are twelve brothers, the sons of our father. One is no more. And the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ ³³ Then the man who is ruler of the land said to us, ‘I will know that you are telling the truth by this test. Leave one of your brothers with me. Take grain for your hungry families and go. ³⁴ But bring your youngest brother to me, so I will know you are not spies, but honest men telling the truth. Then I will return your brother to you. And then you may trade in the land.’”

³⁵ When they took the grain out of their bags, they found that every man’s money was in his bag. And when they and their father saw the money, they were afraid. ³⁶ Their father Jacob said to them, “You have taken my children from me! Joseph is no more. Simeon is no more. And now you would take Benjamin! All this has come upon me!”

³⁷ Then Reuben told his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not return him to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.” ³⁸ But Jacob said, “My son will not go with you. For his brother is dead, and only he is left. If something were to happen to him during your traveling, you would bring my white hair down to the grave in sorrow.”

Jacob’s Brothers Go to Egypt the Second Time

43 The time of no food was hard in the land. ² When they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again and buy us a little food.” ³ But Judah told him, “The man said to us with sharp words, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ⁴ If you send our brother with us, we will go to Egypt and buy you food. ⁵ But if you do not send him, we will not go. For the man said, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

⁶ Israel said, “Why did you do me such a wrong by telling the man that you had another brother?” ⁷ And they said, “The man asked questions about us and our family. He said, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

⁸ Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. And we will get up and go, so we and you and our children may live and not die. ⁹ I will put myself as trust for him. You may put him in my care. If I do not return him to you and set him in front of you, then let the blame be on me forever. ¹⁰ For if we had not waited, we would have returned twice by now.”

¹¹ Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best things of the land in your bags. Carry them to the man as a gift. Give him perfume and honey and spices and special things to eat. ¹² Take twice as much money with you to take the place of the money that was returned in your bags. It may be that it was a mistake. ¹³ Take your brother also. Get up, and return to the man. ¹⁴ May the All-powerful God give you such favor with the man that he may let your other brother and Benjamin return. If my children are taken from me, I am filled with sorrow.”

¹⁵ So the men took the gift, and twice as much money, and Benjamin. They got up and went to Egypt, and stood in front of Joseph. ¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the man who took care of his house, “Bring the men into the house. And kill an animal and make it ready. For the men will eat with me at noon.” ¹⁷ So the man did what Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. ¹⁸ The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of the money that was returned in our bags the first time we came. He is looking for something against us. He will come down on us and take us for servants with our donkeys.” ¹⁹ So they came near the man who took care of Joseph’s house, and spoke to him at the door of the house. ²⁰ They said, “O, my lord, we came here the first time to buy food. ²¹ When we came to the place where we stayed the night, we opened our bags. And we found that the full weight of each man’s money was at the top of the bag. So we have brought it again with us. ²² We have brought other money with us also to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our bags.”

²³ But he answered, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you riches in your bags. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. ²⁴ The man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet. And he fed their donkeys. ²⁵ So they made the gift ready to give to Joseph when he came at noon. For they had heard that they were to eat there.

²⁶ When Joseph came home, they gave him the gift they had brought with them. They bowed to the ground in front of him. ²⁷ Then Joseph asked them about their well-being. He said, “Is your father well, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?” ²⁸ And they said, “Your servant, our father is well. He is still alive.” Then they bowed their heads low in honor to Joseph.

²⁹ As he looked up, he saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son. He said, “Is this your youngest brother whom you told me about? May God show you loving-favor, my son.” ³⁰ Then Joseph went out in a hurry. For he had much feeling for his brother. He went in his room and cried. ³¹ Then he washed his face and came out. Hiding his feelings, he said, “Bring the food.”

³² So they brought food to Joseph by himself, and to them by themselves, and to the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves. The Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews because they thought it would be sinful. ³³ Joseph’s brothers were seated in front of him by the way they were born, from the oldest to the youngest. And the men looked at each other in wonder. ³⁴ Joseph took food to them from his own table. But Benjamin’s food was five times as much as any of theirs. And they were free in eating and drinking with him.

Joseph’s Cup

44 Then Joseph told the man who took care of his house, “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry. And put each man’s money in his bag. ² Put my silver cup in the bag of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did what Joseph had told him to do. ³ Early in the morning the men were sent away with their donkeys. ⁴ When they had left the city and were not far away, Joseph said to the man who took care of his house, “Get up and follow the men. When you come to them, say to them, ‘Why have you returned bad for good? Why have you stolen the silver cup? ⁵ Is this not my lord’s drinking cup that he uses for telling about the future? You have done wrong.’”

⁶ So he came to them and spoke these words to them. ⁷ And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants would never do such a thing. ⁸ Remember how we returned to you from the land of Canaan with the money we found in the top of our bags. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your owner’s house? ⁹ If the cup is found with any of your servants, let him be put to death. And the others of us will be your servants.”

¹⁰ He answered, “Let it be as you say. He who is found to have the cup will be my servant. But you others will be without blame.” ¹¹ Then each man put his bag down on the ground in a hurry and opened it. ¹² The man looked for it, beginning with the oldest and stopping with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. ¹³ Then they tore their clothes. After each man loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city.

¹⁴ When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground in front of him. ¹⁵ Joseph said to them, “What is this that you have done? Did you not know that a man like me has power to know what is not known by others?” ¹⁶ Judah said, “We do not know what to say to my lord. How can we make ourselves right in your eyes? God has shown the guilt of your servants. See, we are your servants, both we and the one who was found with the cup.” ¹⁷ But Joseph said, “No. I will do no such thing. The person who was found with the cup will be my servant. But you others may go in peace to your father.”

¹⁸ Then Judah came near to him, and said, “O my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears. Do not be angry with your servant. For you are like Pharaoh himself. ¹⁹ My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ ²⁰ We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a young brother who was born to him when he was old. Now his brother is dead. So he is all that is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ ²¹ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him here to me, so I may see him.’ ²² But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. For if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ ²³ Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes here with you, you will not see my face again.’

²⁴ “When we returned to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. ²⁵ Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’ ²⁶ But we said, ‘We cannot go there. If our youngest brother is with us, we will go there. 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 my wife gave birth to two of my sons. ²⁸ One left me, and I said, “For sure he is torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since. ²⁹ If you take this one also from me, and something happens to him, you will bring my white hair down to the grave in sorrow.’ ³⁰ My father’s life and the boy’s life are one. If I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, ³¹ when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. So your servants will bring the white hair of your servant our father down to the grave in sorrow. ³² For I put myself as trust for the boy to my father. I said, ‘If I do not return him to you, then let the blame be on me forever.’ ³³ So let your servant stay and work for my lord, instead of the boy. Let the boy go home with his brothers. ³⁴ For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I am afraid to see the sorrow that my father would suffer.”

Joseph Tells His Brothers Who He Is

45 Then Joseph could not hide his feelings in front of all who stood by him. He cried, “Send all the people away from me.” So no one was with him when Joseph told his brothers who he was. ² He cried so loud that the Egyptians heard it, and those of Pharaoh’s house heard of it. ³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were afraid in front of him.

⁴ Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me.” So they came near. He said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ But do not be troubled or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to save your life. ⁶ For the land has been without food these two years. And there are five more years without plowing or gathering. ⁷ God sent me before you to make sure that your people will keep living on the earth. Now many of you will be saved. ⁸ So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and ruler of all his house, and of all the land of Egypt. ⁹ Hurry and go to my father. Say to him, ‘Your son Joseph says to you, “God has made me ruler of all Egypt. Come to me, and do not wait. ¹⁰ You will live in the land of Goshen, you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and cattle, and all you have. And you will be near me. ¹¹ There I will take care of you, so that you and your family will not be in need. For there are still five years coming without food. By then you would have nothing.”’

¹² “Now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. ¹³ You must tell my father of all my greatness in Egypt, and of all you have seen. You must hurry and bring my father here.” ¹⁴ Then he put his arms around his brother Benjamin and cried. And Benjamin cried on his neck. ¹⁵ Joseph kissed all his brothers and cried over them. After that his brothers talked with him.

¹⁶ When the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. ¹⁷ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers this: ‘Load your animals and go to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸ Take your father and your families and come to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt. And you will live on the fat of the land.’ ¹⁹ Also say to them, ‘Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives. Bring your father and come. ²⁰ Do not worry about the things that belong to you. For the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

²¹ The sons of Israel did as he said. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had told him. And he gave them what they would need as they traveled. ²² He gave new clothes to each of them. But to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five times as many clothes. ²³ To his father he sent ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and things his father would need as he traveled. ²⁴ Then he sent his brothers away. As they left he said to them, “Do not be mad at each other on the way.”

²⁵ So they went out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. ²⁶ They told him, “Joseph is still alive! He is ruler of all the land of Egypt!” Jacob’s heart almost stopped, because he did not believe them. ²⁷ So they told him all the things that Joseph had said to them. And when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the life of Jacob’s spirit returned. ²⁸ Israel said, “It is enough. My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Jacob and His Family Go to Egypt

46 So Israel traveled with all he had to Beersheba. There he gave gifts to the God of his father Isaac. ² God spoke to Israel in special dreams in the night, saying, “Jacob, Jacob.” And Jacob answered, “Here I am.” ³ He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt. For I will make you a great nation there. ⁴ I will go with you to Egypt. I will bring you out again. And Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.”

⁵ Then Jacob left Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. ⁶ They took their animals and all the things they owned from the land of Canaan. And they came to Egypt, Jacob and all his children with him, ⁷ his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters. He brought all his children with him to Egypt.

⁸ These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, ⁹ and Reuben’s sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

¹⁰ The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. ¹¹ The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. ¹² The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. ¹³ The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvvah, Iob, and Shimron. ¹⁴ The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon and Jahleel. ¹⁵ These are the sons who were born to Leah and Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah. He had thirty-three sons and daughters.

¹⁶ The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. ¹⁷ The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. ¹⁸ These are the sons of Jacob and Zilpah, the woman whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. She gave birth to sixteen of Jacob’s children.

¹⁹ The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁰ The sons of Joseph in the land of Egypt were Manasseh and Ephraim. Their mother was Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the religious leader of On. ²¹ The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. ²² These are the sons of Jacob and Rachel, fourteen sons in all. ²³ Dan’s son was Hushim. ²⁴ The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. ²⁵ These are the sons of Jacob and Bilhah, the woman whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. There were seven sons in all.

²⁶ All the people who came to Egypt with Jacob, the children of his own body, were sixty-six people in all. Added to this were the wives of Jacob’s sons. ²⁷ Two sons were born to Joseph in Egypt. So all the people of Jacob’s family when he came to Egypt were seventy.

Jacob Lives in Goshen

²⁸ Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to learn the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. ²⁹ Then Joseph made his wagon ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. When he came to him, they put their arms around each other and cried for a long time. ³⁰ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”

³¹ Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s family, “I will go and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s family have come to me from the land of Canaan. ³² And the men are shepherds, for they have taken care of animals. They have brought their flocks and cattle and all they have.’ ³³ When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your work?’ ³⁴ you answer, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle since we were young, both we and our fathers.’ Then he will let you live in the land of Goshen. For the Egyptians look down upon every shepherd.”

47 Then Joseph went to Pharaoh and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and cattle and all they own have come from the land of Canaan. See, they are in the land of Goshen.” ² He took five men from among his brothers, and brought them to Pharaoh. ³ Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your work?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.” ⁴ They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land, for there is no field with food for our flocks. The time without food is hard in the land of Canaan. So now we ask of you, let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”

⁵ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. ⁶ The land of Egypt is in front of you. Have your father and your brothers live in the best of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen. And if you know any able men among them, put my cattle in their care.”

⁷ Then Joseph brought his father Jacob to Pharaoh. Jacob prayed that good would come to Pharaoh. ⁸ And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?” ⁹ Jacob answered Pharaoh, “I have traveled on this earth for 130 years. The years of my life have been few and full of sorrow, and less than the years that my fathers lived.” ¹⁰ Then Jacob prayed that good would come to Pharaoh, and went away from him.

¹¹ So Joseph made a place for his father and his brothers. He gave them a part of the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had told him. ¹² Joseph gave food to his father and his brothers and all his father’s family, for the needs of their children.

No Food Anywhere but in Egypt

¹³ Now there was no food in the land for the time without food was very hard. So the people in the land of both Egypt and Canaan became weak because of hunger. ¹⁴ So Joseph gathered all the money that was found in Egypt and Canaan for the grain they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. ¹⁵ When the money was gone from the lands of Egypt and Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die in front of you? For we have no more money.”

¹⁶ Then Joseph said, “Give your cattle. I will give you food in trade for your cattle, because your money is gone.” ¹⁷ So they brought their animals to Joseph. And Joseph gave them food in trade for the horses and flocks and cattle and donkeys. He fed them that year in trade for their animals.

¹⁸ When that year ended, they came to him the next year. They said, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all gone. And the cattle belong to my lord. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our lands. ¹⁹ Why should we die in front of you and our lands be wasted? Buy us and our land in trade for food. We and our land will work for Pharaoh. Give us seed, so that we may live and not die, and so the land will not be wasted.”

²⁰ So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. For every Egyptian sold his field, because the time without food was hard for them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. ²¹ He had the people move to the cities from one end of Egypt to the other, to work for Pharaoh. ²² Only the land of the religious leaders he did not buy. For the religious leaders received money from Pharaoh. They lived on the money Pharaoh gave them. So they did not sell their land.

²³ Then Joseph said to the people, “See, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you to plant in the fields. ²⁴ At gathering time, you must give a fifth part to Pharaoh. Keep the rest to have seeds for the field, and to feed yourselves and your children and those of your houses.”

²⁵ So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the eyes of my lord. We will be Pharaoh’s servants.” ²⁶ Joseph made it a law in the land of Egypt that Pharaoh should have the fifth part. It is a law to this day. Only the land of the religious leaders did not become Pharaoh’s.

Jacob’s Last Wish

²⁷ Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen. They became richer there, and had children, and grew to a very large number. ²⁸ Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So Jacob had lived 147 years in all. ²⁹ When the time came for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph. He said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, give me your promise to be kind and faithful to me. I ask of you, do not bury me in Egypt. ³⁰ But let me lie down with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.” And Joseph said, “I will do as you have said.” ³¹ Jacob said, “Promise me.” So Joseph gave him his promise. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

Jacob and Joseph’s Sons

48 After this Joseph was told, “See, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. ² When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel gathered his strength and sat up in bed. ³ Then Jacob said to Joseph, “The All-powerful God showed Himself to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and He brought good to me. ⁴ He said to me, ‘See, I will give you many children. I will make you a group of nations. And I will give this land to your children and to your children’s children after you. It will belong to them forever.’ ⁵ Now your two sons, who were born to you in Egypt before I came to you here, are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. ⁶ The children born to you after them will be yours. They will be called by the names of their brothers in their share of what the family is to receive. ⁷ For when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by my side in the land of Canaan before we came to Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” ⁸ When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” ⁹ Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So Israel said, “Bring them to me, so I may pray that good will come to them.”

¹⁰ Now Israel’s eyes had become weak from being old, and he could not see. So Joseph brought them near to him. And Israel kissed them and put his arms around them. ¹¹ Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face. But see, God has let me see your children also.” ¹² Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed to the ground. ¹³ Then taking Ephraim with his right hand, Joseph put him at Israel’s left side. And with his left hand he put Manasseh at Israel’s right side, placing them near him. ¹⁴ But Israel put out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, the younger son. And he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands. But Manasseh was the first-born. ¹⁵ Then he prayed that good would come to Joseph, and said, “The God with Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God Who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day, ¹⁶ the Angel Who has set me free from all sin, bring good to the boys. May my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac live on in them. May they become a great nation on the earth.”

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was not pleased. He took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father, for this one is the first-born. Place your right hand on his head.” ¹⁹ But his father would not, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He will become a nation also, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be greater than he. His children and their children’s children will become many nations.” ²⁰ Then he prayed that day that good would come to them. He said, “By you Israel will pray that good will come, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’” So he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹ Then Israel said to Joseph, “See, I am about to die. But God will be with you. He will return you to the land of your fathers. ²² I have given you more than your brothers. I have given you the side of the mountain that I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons

49 Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together so that I may tell you what will happen to you in the days to come. ² Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob. Listen to your father Israel.

³ “Reuben, you are my first-born, my power and the beginning of my strength, first in pride and first in power. ⁴ But because you are as wild as water, the first place will not be yours. It is because you went to your father’s bed and made it unclean.

⁵ “Simeon and Levi are brothers. They hurt others with their swords. ⁶ May my soul not have a part in their secrets, nor my shining-greatness be joined to them. Because in their anger they killed men and for no reason they hurt cattle. ⁷ Their anger will be punished, for it is bad. Their bad temper will be punished, for it is bad. I will divide them in Jacob and spread them apart in Israel.

⁸ “Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of those who hate you. Your father’s sons will bow down to you. ⁹ Judah is a young lion. Like a lion full of meat, you have become great, my son. He lies down and sleeps like a lion. And as a lion, who is willing to wake him? ¹⁰ The right of a ruler will not leave Judah. The ruler’s special stick will not go from between his feet, until Shiloh comes. Then the people will obey Him. ¹¹ He ties his young donkey to the vine, his donkey’s young one to the best vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his coats in the blood of grapes. ¹² His eyes are darker than wine. And his teeth are whiter than milk.

¹³ “Zebulun will live beside the sea and be a safe place for ships. His land will lie beside Sidon.

¹⁴ “Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the loads. ¹⁵ He saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasing. So he made his shoulder ready to carry loads. He let himself be a servant.

¹⁶ “Dan will judge his people, as one of the families of Israel. ¹⁷ Dan will be a snake in the way, a snake in the road, that bites the horse’s heels so that the man falls off. ¹⁸ I wait for Your saving power, O Lord.

¹⁹ “A group of soldiers will go against Gad. But he will go against them at their heels.

²⁰ “Asher’s food will be rich. He will give pleasing food to kings.

²¹ “Naphtali is a female deer let loose who gives beautiful young ones.

²² “Joseph is a branch with much fruit, a branch with much fruit by a well. It grows over the wall. ²³ The men fought against him with their bows. They sent arrows toward him and made it hard for him. ²⁴ But his bow did not shake. His arms were made strong by the hands of the Powerful One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, ²⁵ by the God of your father Who helps you, and by the All-powerful Who brings good to you. He brings good from heaven above, and from the deep that lies below, and from the body of a mother. ²⁶ More good has come to your father than to my fathers before me, as lasting as the hills that last forever. May this good be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of him who was divided from his brothers.

²⁷ “Benjamin is a hungry wolf. In the morning he eats the animals he has caught. And in the evening he divides what he has taken.”

²⁸ All these are the twelve family groups of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he prayed that good would come to them. He prayed for each of them to receive the good they should have.

The Death of Jacob

²⁹ Then he told them, “I will soon be with my people who have died before me. Bury me with my fathers in the grave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ³⁰ in the grave that is in the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought this grave and the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burying place. ³¹ There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah. There they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah. And there I buried Leah. ³² The field and the grave that is in it were bought from the sons of Heth.”

³³ When Jacob finished telling his sons what to do, he lay back down on his bed and died.

50 Then Joseph threw himself upon his father, and cried over him and kissed him. ² Joseph told his servants the doctors to make his father ready to be buried. So the doctors made Israel ready. ³ Forty days were needed for this. For this is how much time it took for making the body ready to be buried. And the Egyptians cried for him seventy days.

⁴ When the days of sorrow for him were past, Joseph said to those of Pharaoh’s house, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh, saying, ⁵ ‘My father had me make a promise to him. He said, “See, I am about to die. Bury me in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” So let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.’” ⁶ Pharaoh answered, “Go and bury your father as he made you promise.”

⁷ So Joseph went to bury his father. With him went all the servants of Pharaoh, the leaders of his house and all the important men of the land of Egypt, ⁸ and all those of the house of Joseph, and his brothers, and those of his father’s house. They left only their little ones and their flocks and cattle in the land of Goshen. ⁹ Wagons and men on horses went with him also. It was a very large group of people.

¹⁰ They came to the grain-floor of Atad on the other side of the Jordan. There they cried with much sorrow. Joseph cried in sorrow for his father for seven days. ¹¹ When those who lived in the land, the Canaanites, saw the people crying in sorrow at the grain-floor of Atad, they said, “This is a great sorrow for the Egyptians.” So the place was given the name Abel-mizraim. It is on the other side of the Jordan.

¹² Jacob’s sons did as he had told them. ¹³ They carried him to the land of Canaan. They buried him in the grave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham had bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burying place. ¹⁴ After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

Joseph Tells His Brothers Not to Be Afraid

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be now that Joseph will hate us, and pay us in return for all the wrong that we did to him!” ¹⁶ So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, our father told us, ¹⁷ ‘You say to Joseph, “Forgive the wrong-doing of your brothers and their sin. For they did a bad thing to you.”’ Now we beg you, forgive the wrong-doing of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph cried when they spoke to him. ¹⁸ Then his brothers came and fell down in front of him and said, “See, we are your servants.”

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You planned to do a bad thing to me. But God planned it for good, to make it happen that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. ²¹ So do not be afraid. I will take care of you and your little ones.” He gave them comfort and words of kindness.

The Death of Joseph

²² Joseph and his father’s family stayed in Egypt. And Joseph lived 110 years. ²³ He lived long enough to see Ephraim’s grandchildren. And the sons of Manasseh’s son Machir were held on Joseph’s knees. ²⁴ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will take care of you. He will bring you from this land to the land that He promised to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” ²⁵ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel promise. He said, “God will take care of you. And you will carry my bones from here.” ²⁶ So Joseph died after living 110 years. They made his body ready, and he was put in a grave in Egypt.