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Joseph in Potiphar’s House
39 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh, commander of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 And Yahweh was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 And his master observed that Yahweh was with him, and everything that was in his hand to do Yahweh made successful. 4 And Joseph found favor in his eyes and he served him. Then he appointed him[a] over his house and all that he owned he put into his hand. 5 And it happened that from the time he appointed him over his house and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the house of the Egyptian on account of Joseph. And the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 And he left all that he had in the hand of Joseph, and he did not worry about anything[b] except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome.[c] 7 And it happened that after these things his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not worry about[d] what is in the house, and everything he owns he has put in my hand. 9 He has no greater authority in this house than me, and he has not withheld anything from me except you, since you are his wife. Now how could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10 And it happened that as she spoke to Joseph day after day,[e] he did not heed her to lie beside her or to be with her. 11 But one particular day[f] he came into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house were there in the house, 12 she seized him by his garment and said, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and he went outside. 13 And it happened that when she saw that he left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 she called to the men of her house and said to them, “Look! He[g] brought a Hebrew man to us to mock us! He came to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And when he heard me, that I raised my voice and called out, he left his garment beside me and fled, and he went outside.” 16 Then she put his garment beside her until his master came to his house. 17 Then she spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave that you brought to us came to me to make fun of me. 18 And it happened that as I raised my voice and called out, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” 19 And when his master heard the words of his wife that she spoke to him, “This is what your servant did to me,”[h] he became very angry.[i] 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into prison, the place that the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in prison. 21 And Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed loyal love to him, and gave him favor in the eyes of the chief of the prison. 22 And the chief of the prison put all the prisoners that were in the prison into the hand of Joseph. And everything that was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The chief of the prison did not worry about[j] anything in his[k] hand, since Yahweh was with him. And whatever he did Yahweh made it successful.
Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison
40 And it happened that after these things the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker did wrong against their lord, against the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, with the chief cupbearer and chief baker. 3 And he put them in custody in the house of the chief of the guard, into the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 And the chief of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. And they were in custody many days.[l] 5 And the two of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, dreamed a dream, each his own dream, with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning he looked at them, and behold, they were troubled. 7 And he asked the court officials of Pharaoh that were with him in the custody of his master’s house, “Why are your faces sad today?” 8 And they said to him, “We each dreamed a dream, but there is no one to interpret it.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” 9 Then the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and he said to him, “In my dream, now behold, there was a vine before me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it budded, its blossoms came up, and its clusters of grapes grew ripe. 11 And the cup of Pharaoh was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into the cup of Pharaoh. Then I placed the cup into the hand of Pharaoh.” 12 Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches, they are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your office. And you shall put the cup of Pharaoh into his hand as was formerly the custom, when you were his cupbearer. 14 But remember me when it goes well with you, and please may you show kindness with respect to me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. 15 For I was surely kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me in this pit.” 16 And when the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good he said to Joseph, “I also dreamed. In my dream, now behold, there were three baskets of bread upon my head. 17 And in the upper basket were all sorts of baked foods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket upon my head.” 18 Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets, they are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a pole,[m] and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” 20 And it happened that on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants. And he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 21 And he restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing position. And he placed the cup in the hand of Pharaoh. 22 But the chief baker he hanged as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams
41 And it happened that after two full years[n] Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2 And behold, seven cows, well built and fat,[o] were coming up from the Nile, and they grazed among the reeds. 3 And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt,[p] and they stood beside those[q] cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly and gaunt[r] cows ate the seven well built and fat[s] cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time, and behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were coming out of one stalk. 6 And behold, seven thin ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7 And the thin ears of grain swallowed up the seven plump and full ears of grain. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 And it happened that in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called all of the magicians[t] of Egypt, and all its wise men, and Pharaoh told his dream to them. But they had no interpretation[u] for Pharaoh. 9 Then the chief of the cupbearers spoke with Pharaoh, saying, “I remember my sins today. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the house of the chief of the guard. 11 And we dreamed a dream one night, I and he, each with a dream that had a meaning.[v] 12 And there with us was a young man, a Hebrew servant of the chief of the guard, and we told him the dream, and he interpreted our dreams for us, each according to his dream he interpreted. 13 And it happened just as he interpreted to us, so it was. He[w] restored me to my office, and him[x] he[y] hanged.” 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they brought him quickly from the prison. And he shaved and changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. 15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I dreamed a dream, but there is none to interpret it. Now, I have heard concerning you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Then Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, “It is not in my power;[z] God will answer concerning the well-being of Pharaoh.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
46 And[a] while[b] he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers were standing there outside, desiring to speak to him. 47 And someone told him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing there outside desiring to speak to you.” 48 But he answered and[c] said to the one who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Behold my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Parable of the Sower
13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and[d] was sitting by the sea.[e] 2 And large crowds gathered close around him, so that he got into a boat to sit down, and all the crowd was standing on the shore. 3 And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow, 4 and while he was sowing, some seed[f] fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and[g] devoured it. 5 And other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once because it did not have any depth of soil. 6 But when[h] the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. 7 And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it. 8 But other seed fell on the good soil and produced grain,[i] this one a hundred times as much and this one sixty and this one thirty. 9 The one who has ears, let him hear!”
The Reason for the Parables
10 And the disciples came up and[j] said to him, “Why[k] do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered and[l] said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, 14 and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says,
“You will listen carefully[m] and will never understand,
and you will look closely[n] and will never perceive.
15 For the heart of this people has become dull,
and with their ears they hear with difficulty,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.”[o]
16 But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it,[p] and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it![q]
The Parable of the Sower Interpreted
18 “You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When[r] anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it,[s] the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. 20 And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while,[t] and when[u] affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world[v] and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 23 But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it,[w] who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”
Prayer for Vindication and Protection
A prayer of David.[a]
17 O Yahweh, hear a just cause.
Hear my cry; heed my prayer
I make without deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come forth from you;
let your eyes see fairness.
3 You have tried my heart;
you have examined me by night;
you have tested me; you found nothing.
I have decided that my mouth will not transgress.
4 As for the works of humankind,
by the word of your lips,
I have kept from the ways of the violent.
5 I have held my steps in your path
My feet will not slip.
6 As for me, I have called on you
because you will answer me, O God.
Incline your ear to me.
Hear my words.[b]
7 Show wondrously your acts of loyal love,
O Savior of those who take refuge
at your right hand[c]
from those who rise up against them.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye.[d]
Hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the presence[e] of the wicked who destroy me,
those enemies against my life,
they that surround me.
10 They have shut off their calloused[f] heart;
with their mouth they speak arrogantly.
11 Now they surround us at our every step.
They intend[g]
to pin[h] me to the ground.
12 He is like[i] a lion; he longs to tear apart,
and like a strong lion crouching in hiding places.
13 Rise up, O Yahweh, confront him.[j]
Make him bow down.
Rescue with your sword my life from the wicked,
14 from men by your hand, O Yahweh, from men of this world.
Their share is in this life,[k] and you fill their stomach with your treasure.
They are satisfied with children.
They bequeath their excess to their children.
15 By contrast, I in righteousness shall see your face.
Upon awakening I will be satisfied seeing your form.
33 The curse of Yahweh is on the house of the wicked,
and the abode of the righteous ones he blesses.
34 With those who scorn, he is scornful,
but to those who are humble, he gives favor.
35 They will inherit the honor of the wise,
but stubborn fools, disgrace.
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