The Daily Audio Bible
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17 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18 and behold, seven cows, [a]fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. 19 And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and lean, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt, in regard to [b]ugliness; 20 and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21 But they [c]devoured them, and yet it could not be known that they had [d]devoured them. [e]For they were just as ugly as [f]before. Then I awoke. 22 Then I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23 and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; 24 and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. So (A)I told it to the [g]magicians, but there was no one who could declare it to me.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s [h]dreams are one and the same; (B)God has declared to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the [i]dreams are one and the same. 27 And the seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven lean ears scorched by the east wind (C)will be seven years of famine. 28 [j]It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: (D)God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Behold, (E)seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30 and after them (F)seven years of famine will arise, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will [k]ravage the land, 31 so that the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very heavy. 32 Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that (G)the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33 So now let Pharaoh look for a man (H)understanding and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action and appoint overseers over the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35 Then let them (I)gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and let them store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them keep watch over it. 36 And let the food be appointed for the land for the seven years of famine which will happen in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not be cut off during the famine.”
Joseph Is Set over Egypt
37 And the [l]proposal seemed good [m]to Pharaoh and [n]to all his servants. 38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, (J)in whom is a divine spirit?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made you know all of this, there is no one so (K)understanding and wise as you are. 40 (L)You shall be over my house, and according to your [o]command all my people shall [p]do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you (M)over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh (N)removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen and (O)put the gold necklace around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in [q]his second chariot; and they called out before him, “[r]Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet (P)without [s]your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph [t]Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of [u](Q)On, as a wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.
46 Now Joseph was (R)thirty years old when he [v]stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and passed through all the land of Egypt. 47 And during the seven years of plenty the land brought forth [w]abundantly. 48 So he gathered all the food of these seven years which happened in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. 49 Thus Joseph stored up grain [x]in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped [y]measuring it, for it was [z]beyond measure.
The Sons of Joseph
50 Now before the year of famine came, (S)two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of [aa]On, bore to him. 51 And Joseph named the firstborn [ab]Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 And he named the second [ac]Ephraim, “For,” he said, “(T)God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 Then the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and (U)the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. So there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 Then all the land of Egypt was famished, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; (V)whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56 Now the famine was over all the face of the land. And Joseph opened all [ad]the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Now all the earth also came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because (W)the famine was severe in all the earth.
Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt
42 Now (X)Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2 Then he said, “Behold, (Y)I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from there, (Z)so that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother (AA)Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “(AB)Lest any harm befall him.” 5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, (AC)for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.
6 Now (AD)Joseph was the one in power over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and (AE)bowed down to him with their [ae]faces to the ground. 7 And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and (AF)spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 But Joseph recognized his brothers, although (AG)they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph (AH)remembered the dreams which he [af]had about them and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the [ag]nakedness of the land.” 10 Then they said to him, “No, (AI)my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man; we are (AJ)honest men; your servants are not spies.” 12 And he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the [ah]nakedness of our land!” 13 So they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with (AK)our father today, and (AL)one is no more.” 14 And Joseph said to them, “It is as I said [ai]to you, you are spies; 15 by this you will be tested: (AM)by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16 Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is (AN)truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17 Then he put them all together in (AO)prison for three days.
The Parable of Tares Among Wheat
24 He presented another parable to them, saying, “(A)The kingdom of heaven [a]may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed [b]tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the [c]wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? [d]How then does it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An [e]enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but (B)gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “(C)The kingdom of heaven is like (D)a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is the [f]smallest of all seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is the [g]largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that (E)the birds of the [h]air come and nest in its branches.”
33 He spoke another parable to them, “(F)The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in [i](G)three sata of flour until it was all leavened.”
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He was not speaking to them (H)without a parable 35 so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying,
“(I)I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of Tares Explained
36 Then He left the crowds and went into (J)the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “(K)Explain to us the parable of the [j]tares of the field.” 37 And He answered and said, “The one who sows the good seed is (L)the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are (M)the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are (N)the sons of (O)the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is (P)the [k]end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at (Q)the [l]end of the age. 41 (R)The Son of Man (S)will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom [m]all (T)stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and (U)will throw them into the fiery furnace; in that place (V)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 (W)Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (X)He who has ears, [n]let him hear.
A Hidden Treasure
44 “(Y)The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and (Z)sells all that he has and buys that field.
A Costly Pearl
45 “Again, (AA)the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Yahweh Is My Rock and My Fortress
For the choir director. Of the servant of Yahweh, of David, [a]who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
18 He said, “I love You, O Yahweh, (A)my strength.”
2 Yahweh is (B)my [b]rock and (C)my fortress and my (D)deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My (E)shield and the (F)horn of my salvation, my (G)stronghold.
3 I call upon Yahweh, who is (H)worthy to be praised,
And I am (I)saved from my enemies.
4 The (J)cords of death encompassed me,
And the (K)torrents of vileness [c]terrified me.
5 The (L)cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6 In my (M)distress I called upon Yahweh,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice (N)out of His temple,
And my (O)cry for help before Him came into His ears.
7 Then the (P)earth shook and quaked;
And the (Q)foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
8 Smoke went up [d]out of His nostrils,
And (R)fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
9 He (S)bowed the heavens and came down
With thick (T)darkness under His feet.
10 He rode upon a (U)cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the (V)wings of the wind.
11 He made (W)darkness His hiding place, (X)His [e]canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the (Y)brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and (Z)coals of fire.
13 Yahweh also (AA)thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High gave forth His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 He (AB)sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and [f]threw them into confusion.
15 Then the (AC)channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were [g]laid bare
At Your (AD)rebuke, O Yahweh,
At the blast of the (AE)breath of Your nostrils.
A Father’s Wise Instruction
4 Hear, O sons, the (A)discipline of a father,
And (B)pay attention that you may know understanding,
2 For I give you [a]sound (C)learning;
(D)Do not forsake my [b]instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
(E)Tender and (F)the only son before my mother,
4 Then he (G)instructed me and said to me,
“Let your heart (H)hold fast my words;
(I)Keep my commandments and live;
5 (J)Acquire wisdom! (K)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget and do not turn away from the sayings of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
(L)Love her, and she will guard you.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.