The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NLT. Switch to the NLT to read along with the audio.
17 So Pharaoh told Joseph, “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, 18 and all of a sudden seven healthy, plump, beautiful cows emerged from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds that line the bank.[a] 19 Just then, seven other cows emerged after them, poor, ugly, and appearing very gaunt in their flesh. I’ve never seen anything as ugly as those cows anywhere in the entire land of Egypt! 20 But those thin, gaunt cows gobbled up the first seven healthy cows! 21 Not only that,” Pharaoh continued,[b] “after they had finished devouring the cows, nobody could tell that they had gobbled them up, because they were just as ugly as before. Then I woke up. 22 Later, I also dreamed about seven plump, fruit-filled ears of grain[c] that grew up out of a single stalk. 23 All of a sudden, seven thin, withered ears of grain,[d] scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 24 But the thin ears gobbled up the seven good ears. I told all this to my advisors, but nobody was able to explain it to me.”
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream
25 “Pharaoh’s dreams are identical,” Joseph replied. “God has told Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do. 26 The seven healthy cows represent seven years, as do the seven healthy ears. The dreams are identical. 27 The seven gaunt cows that arose after the healthy cows[e] are seven years, as are the seven gaunt ears scorched by the east wind. There will be seven years of famine. 28 So the message that I have for Pharaoh is that God is telling Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do. 29 Be advised that seven years of phenomenal abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them seven years of famine are ahead, during which all of the abundance will be forgotten throughout the land of Egypt. The famine will ravage the land so severely that[f] 31 there will be no surplus in the land due to the coming famine, because it will be very severe.
32 “Now since Pharaoh had that dream twice, it means that this event has been scheduled by God, and God will bring it to pass very soon. 33 Therefore let Pharaoh select a wise, discerning person to place in charge over the land of Egypt. 34 Also, let Pharaoh immediately proceed to appoint supervisors over the land of Egypt, who will collect one fifth of its agricultural production[g] during the coming seven years of abundance. 35 Let them collect all the food during the coming fruitful years, store up the grain in cities governed by Pharaoh’s authority,[h] and place it under guard. 36 Let the food be kept in reserve to feed[i] the land for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout Egypt, so the people don’t[j] die during the famine.”
Pharaoh Appoints Joseph as Regent
37 What Joseph proposed pleased Pharaoh and all of his advisors, 38 so Pharaoh asked his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—someone in whom the Spirit of God lives? 39 Since God has revealed all of this to you,” Pharaoh told Joseph, “there is no one so wise and discerning as you. 40 So you are to be appointed in charge over my palace, and all of my people are to do whatever you command them to do. Only the throne will have greater authority than you.”
41 “Look!” Pharaoh confirmed[k] to Joseph, “I’ve put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt!”
42 Then Pharaoh[l] removed his signet ring from his hand, placed it on Joseph’s hand, had him clothed in fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43 Then he provided him with a chariot as his second-in-command, outfitted with a group of people who shouted out in front of him, “Bow your knees!” And that’s how Pharaoh set Joseph over the entire land of Egypt.
Pharaoh Rewards Joseph
44 Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I’m still Pharaoh, but without your permission nobody in all of the land of Egypt will so much as lift up their hands or take a step!” 45 Pharaoh also changed Joseph’s name to Zaphenath-paneah[m] and gave Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, to him as his wife. And that’s how Joseph gained authority over the land of Egypt.
Joseph Begins Gathering Grain
46 Joseph was 30 years old when he began to serve Pharaoh, king of Egypt, by traveling throughout the land of Egypt, independent from Pharaoh’s oversight.[n] 47 While bumper crops grew during the seven abundant years, 48 Joseph[o] collected the surplus food throughout the land of Egypt, storing food in cities; that is, he gathered the food from fields that surrounded every city and stored it there. 49 Joseph stored up so much grain—like sand on the seashore in so much abundance!—that he stopped keeping records because it was proving to be impossible to measure how much they were gathering.
Joseph’s Children are Born
50 Before the years of famine arrived, Joseph fathered two sons with Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn son[p] Manasseh because, he said, “God has made me forget all of my hard life and my father’s house.” 52 He named his second son Ephraim because, he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my troubles.”
The Famine Begins
53 As soon as the seven years of abundance throughout the land of Egypt ended, 54 the seven years of famine started, just as Joseph had predicted.[q] It was an international famine, but there was food everywhere throughout the land of Egypt. 55 Eventually, the land of Egypt began to feel the effects of the famine, so the people[r] cried out to Pharaoh for food. “Go see Joseph,” Pharaoh announced to all the Egyptians, “and do whatever he tells you to do.”
56 Joseph opened all of the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, because the famine was beginning to be severe throughout the land of Egypt. 57 In addition, all of the surrounding nations[s] came to Joseph to buy grain from Egypt, because the famine had become severe throughout the world.
Joseph’s Brothers Visit Egypt
42 Eventually, Jacob observed that there was grain in Egypt, so he asked his sons, “Why do you keep on staring at one another? 2 Pay attention now! I’ve heard that there is grain in Egypt, so go down there and buy some grain for us, so we can live, instead of dying.”
3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers left to buy grain from Egypt. 4 Jacob would not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin to accompany them, because he was saying, “I’m afraid that he’ll come to some kind of harm.” 5 Israel’s sons went in a caravan that included others who were going to Egypt to buy grain, because the famine pervaded the land of Canaan, too.
Joseph’s Brothers Encounter Joseph
6 Meanwhile, Joseph continued to be ruler over the land, in charge of selling to everyone in the land. Joseph’s brothers appeared and bowed down to him, face down.[t] 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he knew who they were, but he remained disguised and asked them gruffly, “Where are you from?”
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We’re here[u] to buy food.”
8 But Joseph had already recognized his brothers, even though they had not recognized him. 9 Furthermore, Joseph remembered the dreams that he had about them. So he accused them, “You’re spies! You’ve come here to spy on our undefended territories!”[v]
10 “No, your majesty,” they replied. “Your servants have come here to buy food. 11 We’re all sons of a common father. We’re honest men, your majesty. We’re[w] not spies!”
12 But Joseph[x] kept insisting, “It’s just as I’ve said—you’ve come here to spy on our unguarded[y] territories!”
13 “But your majesty,” they pleaded, “your servants include twelve brothers, the sons of a common father back in the land of Canaan. Please! Our youngest brother[z] remains with our father, and the other one[aa] is no longer alive.”
14 “I’m right!” Joseph insisted. “Just as I said, you’re spies! 15 So here’s how we’ll test you. You can bet the life of Pharaoh that you’re not leaving here until your youngest brother comes here! 16 One of you is to be sent back so he can get your brother while the rest of[ab] you remain in custody. That way, we’ll test whether or not you’re telling the truth. If you’re not, as surely as the Pharaoh lives, you’re spies!”
17 Then Joseph locked them all together in prison for three days.
The Parable about the Weeds among the Wheat
24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom from[a] heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 While people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 When the crop came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared, too.
27 “The owner’s servants came and asked him, ‘Master, you sowed good seed in your field, didn’t you? Then where did these weeds come from?’
28 “He told them, ‘An enemy did this!’
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them out?’
29 “He said, ‘No! If you pull out the weeds, you might pull out the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but bring the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Parables about a Mustard Seed and Yeast(A)
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom from[b] heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field. 32 Although it is the smallest of[c] all seeds, when it is fully grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom from[d] heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with[e] three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
Why Jesus Used Parables(B)
34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables. He did not tell them anything without using[f] a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet[g] when he said,
“I will open my mouth to speak[h] in parables.
I will declare what has been hidden
since the creation of the world.”[i]
Jesus Explains the Parable about the Weeds
36 Then Jesus[j] left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and asked, “Explain to us the parable about the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The person who sowed good seed is the Son of Man, 38 while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to[k] the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong to[l] the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the Devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at end of the[m] age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness 42 and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.[n] 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let the person who has ears[o] listen!”
The Parable about a Hidden Treasure
44 “The kingdom from[p] heaven is like treasure hidden in a field that a man found and hid. In his excitement he went and sold everything he had and bought that field.”
The Parable about a Valuable Pearl
45 “Again, the kingdom from[q] heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.”
To the Director: By the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
Gratitude for Victory
18 He said:
“I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God,
my stronghold[a] in whom I take refuge, my shield, the glory[b]
of my salvation, and my high tower.”
3 I cried out to the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I was delivered from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the rivers of Belial[c] made me afraid.
5 The cords of Sheol[d] surrounded me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I cried to the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his Temple he heard my voice;
my cry reached his ears.
7 The world shook and trembled;
the foundations of the mountains quaked,
they shook because he was angry.
8 In his anger smoke poured out of his nostrils,
and consuming fire from his mouth;
coals were lit from it.
9 He bent the sky and descended,
and darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode upon a cherub and flew;
he soared upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding place,
his canopy surrounding him was dark waters and thick clouds.
12 The brightness before him scattered the thick clouds,
with hail stones and flashes of fire.
13 Then the Lord thundered in[e] the heavens,
and the Most High sounded aloud,
calling for hail stones and flashes of fire.[f]
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them;
with many lightning bolts he frightened them.
15 Then the channels of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were uncovered
because of your rebuke, Lord,
because of the blast from the breath of your nostrils.
Diligently Pursue Wisdom
4 Listen, children,[a] to your father’s instruction,
and pay attention in order to gain understanding.
2 I give you sound teaching,
so do not abandon my instruction.[b]
3 When I was a son to my father,
not yet strong[c] and an only son to my mother,
4 he taught me and told me,
“Let your heart fully embrace what I have to say;[d]
keep my commandments and live!
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget or turn aside from the words of my mouth!
6 Do not abandon her, and she will protect you.
Love her, and she will watch over you.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.