The Daily Audio Bible
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18 Three days later, Joseph told them, “I fear God, so do this and you’ll live. 19 If you’re honest men, leave one of your brothers here in custody, then the rest of[a] you can leave and take some grain with you[b] to alleviate the famine that’s affecting your households. 20 Just be sure to bring your youngest brother back to me so what you’ve claimed can be verified. That way, you won’t die.”
Joseph’s Brothers Mull over Their Predicament
21 “We’re all guilty because of what we did to[c] our brother!” they told each other. “We kept on watching his suffering while he pleaded with us! We’re in this mess because we wouldn’t listen!”
22 “Didn’t I tell you!” Reuben replied. “‘Don’t wrong the kid!’ I said, but would you listen? No! Now it’s payback time!”
23 Meanwhile, they had no idea that Joseph could understand them, since he was talking to them through an interpreter. 24 He turned away from them and began to weep.
Joseph Arrests Simeon
When he returned, he spoke with them, but then he took Simeon away from them and had him placed under arrest[d] right in front of them. 25 After this, Joseph gave orders to fill up their sacks with grain, to return each man’s money to his own sack, and to supply each of them with provisions for their return journey. All of this was done for them.
Joseph’s Brothers Leave for Canaan
26 Then they each mounted up, their donkeys having been loaded with grain, and left from there. 27 Later on, one of them opened up his sack to give his donkey some fodder after they had stopped at the place where they intended to lodge for the night. There, in the mouth of his sack, was all of his money! 28 He reported to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It’s right here in my sack!”
Trembling with mounting consternation, each of them asked one another, “What is God doing to us?”
Jacob Learns What Happened in Egypt
29 As soon as they had returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened to them. 30 “The man who was in charge[e] of the land spoke harshly to us,” they said. “He accused us of being spies![f] 31 But we told him, ‘No! We’re honest men! We’re not spies! 32 Our father has twelve sons, but one of us isn’t alive anymore, and our youngest brother is with our father today back home in[g] Canaan.’ 33 But the man who was in charge of the land responded, ‘I’m going to test your honesty. Leave one of your brothers with me, take some grain for the famine that’s afflicting your households, and leave. 34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I can be sure that you’re honest men, and not spies. Then I’ll return your brother to you, and you’ll be allowed to trade anywhere in the land.’”
35 Later on, as they went about unloading their sacks, each man’s bundle of money was found in each man’s sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were greatly distressed. 36 Their father Jacob told them, “You’re causing me to lose my children! Joseph is gone. Now Simeon is gone, and you’re planning to take Benjamin, too. Everything’s going against me!”
37 “Feel free to put my own two sons to death,” Reuben responded to his father, “if I don’t bring him back to you. Trust me—I’ll bring him back to you.”
38 But Jacob replied, “My son isn’t going back with you, since his brother is dead and he’s the only one left. If something should harm him as you travel, then it’ll be death for me and my sad, gray hair!”[h]
Preparing to Return to Egypt
43 Meanwhile, the famine remained severe throughout the region. 2 As a result, when Jacob’s family[i] was beginning to eat the last of the grain that they had brought back from Egypt, their father Jacob[j] told his sons, “Go back to Egypt and buy us some food.”
3 But Judah reminded him, “The man distinctly warned us: ‘You’ll never see my face unless your brother comes with you.’ 4 So if you send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy some food. 5 But if you don’t send him, we’re not going, because the man told us, ‘You’ll never see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Israel replied, “Why did you make all this trouble by telling the man that you have another brother?”
7 “The man specifically asked about us and our relatives,” they responded. “He asked us, ‘Is your father still alive?’ and ‘Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we have known that he would tell us to bring our brother back with us?”
8 “Send the young man with me,” Judah told his father Israel, “and we’ll get up and go so we can survive and not die—and that includes all of us, you and our families.[k] 9 I’ll even offer myself to guarantee that I’ll be responsible for him. If I don’t bring him back and present him to you, I’ll personally bear the consequences forever. 10 After all, if we hadn’t delayed, we could have been there and back[l] twice by now!”
Jacob Gives Instructions for the Trip
11 “If that’s the way it has to be,” their father Israel replied, “then do this: take some of the best produce of the land in your containers and take them to the man as a gift—some resin ointment, some honey, fragrant resins, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds. 12 Also take twice as much money with you so you can return the money that had been replaced in the mouth of your sacks. Maybe it was an accounting[m] mistake on his part. 13 And be sure to take your brother, too. So get up, return to the man, 14 and may God Almighty cause the man to show compassion toward you. May he send all of you back, including your other brother and Benjamin. Now as for me, if I lose my children, I lose them.”
15 So the men took their gift and twice as much money, got up, took Benjamin with them, and set out for Egypt. Eventually they appeared before Joseph.
Joseph Sees Benjamin
16 As soon as Joseph noticed that Benjamin had come with them, he ordered his palace manager, “Bring the men into the palace.[n] Slaughter an animal and prepare it, because these men will be dining with me for lunch.”[o] 17 So the man did what Joseph had ordered, and brought the men to Joseph’s palace.
18 The men were terrified as they were being taken to Joseph’s palace. “It’s because of that money that was returned to our sacks the first time we were brought to him,” they reasoned. “He’s seeking an excuse to attack us, enslave us, and confiscate our donkeys!”
19 So they approached Joseph’s palace manager and talked with him at the palace entrance. 20 “Your Excellency,” they said, “The first time we came here to buy food, 21 when we arrived at our overnight lodging place, we opened our sacks and discovered each man’s money was still in the mouth of his sack. All of our money was there! We’ve brought it back with us in full. 22 We’ve also brought along some more money to buy supplies, but we don’t know who put our money back into our sacks.”
23 “Relax,” the manager said. “You can stop being afraid, now. Your God, the God of your father, has placed hidden treasure within those sacks for you. I’ve been paid in full.” Then he brought Simeon out to them, 24 ushered the men into Joseph’s palace, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided[p] fodder for their donkeys. 25 Then off he went to prepare the honorary meal that was to be made ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon, since they had been informed that they were going to be eating there.
Joseph Inquires about His Family
26 When Joseph arrived at his palace, his brothers[q] brought to him their gifts that they had carried with them and bowed to the ground in front of him.
27 Joseph asked them how they had been doing. “Is your father well, the older gentleman about whom you spoke?” he inquired. “Is he still alive?”
28 “Your servant, our father, is doing well,” they replied. “He is still alive.” Then they bowed down in humility.
29 As Joseph looked up and recognized his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother about whom you spoke to me?” And he addressed him directly, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”[r]
30 At this, Joseph hurried out, deeply moved because of his brother, and looked for a place to weep by himself. He entered his personal quarters, wept there awhile,[s] 31 then washed his face and came out. Barely controlling himself, he ordered his staff to serve the meal.
32 Joseph’s staff[t] served him by himself, his brothers[u] separately, and the Egyptian staff members by themselves, because the Egyptians wouldn’t take their meal with the Hebrews, since doing so was detestable for the Egyptians. 33 Meanwhile, the brothers[v] were seated in front of Joseph in birth order, from firstborn to youngest. The men stared at one another in astonishment. 34 Joseph[w] himself brought portions to them from his own table, except that he provided to Benjamin five times as much as he did for each of the others. So they feasted together and drank freely with Joseph.[x]
The Parable about a Net
47 “Again, the kingdom from[a] heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea that gathered all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen[b] hauled it ashore. Then they sat down, sorted the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away. 49 That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, cull out the evil people from among the righteous ones, 50 and will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”[c]
New and Old Treasures
51 “Do you understand all these things?”
They told him, “Yes.”
52 Then he told them, “That is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom from[d] heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest.”
Jesus is Rejected at Nazareth(A)
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place. 54 He went to his hometown and began teaching the people[e] in their synagogue in such a way that they were amazed and asked, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles? 55 This is the builder’s[f] son, isn’t it? His mother is named Mary, isn’t she? His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, aren’t they? 56 And his sisters are all with us, aren’t they? So where did this man get all these things?” 57 And they were offended by him.
But Jesus told them, “A prophet is without honor only in his hometown and in his own home.” 58 He did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief.
The Death of John the Baptist(B)
14 At that time Herod the tetrarch,[g] hearing about the fame of Jesus, 2 told his servants, “This is John the Baptist! He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why these miracles are being done by him.” 3 Herod had arrested John, bound him with chains, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s[h] wife.
4 John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Although Herod[i] wanted to kill him, he was afraid of the crowd, since they regarded John[j] as a prophet.
6 But when Herod’s birthday celebration was held, the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests.[k] She pleased Herod 7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked for. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me, right here on a platter, the head of John the Baptist.” 9 Under pressure because of his promises and his assembled guests, the king ordered that it be done. 10 So he sent word[l] and had John beheaded in prison. 11 His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she took it to her mother. 12 When John’s[m] disciples came, they carried off the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
16 He reached down and took me;
he drew me from many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemies,
from those who hated me because
they were stronger than I.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out to a spacious place;
he delivered me, for in me he takes delight.
God’s Reward to the Righteous
20 The Lord will reward me because I am righteous;
because my hands are clean he will restore me;
21 because I have kept the ways of the Lord,
and I have not wickedly departed from my God;
22 because all his judgments were always before me,
and I did not cast off his statutes.
23 I was upright[a] before him,
and I kept myself from iniquity.
24 So the Lord restored me according to my righteousness,
because my hands were clean in his sight.
25 To the holy, you show your gracious love,
to the upright, you show yourself upright;
26 to the pure, you show yourself pure,
and to the morally corrupt, you appear to be perverse.
27 Indeed, you deliver the oppressed,[b]
but you bring down those who exalt themselves
in their own eyes.
28 For you, Lord, make my lamp shine;
my God enlightens my darkness.
29 With your help[c] I will run through an army,
with help from[d] my God I leap over walls.
30 As for God, his way is upright;[e]
the word of God is pure;
he is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
The Acts of God for the Righteous
31 For who is God but the Lord,
and who is a Rock other than our God?—
32 the God who clothes me with strength,
and who makes my way upright;[f]
33 who makes my feet swift as the deer;
who makes me stand on high places;
34 who teaches my hands to make war,
and my arms to bend a bronze bow.
35 You have given to me the shield of your deliverance,
and your right hand holds me up;
your gentleness made me great.
36 You make a broad place for my steps,
so my feet[g] won’t slip.
7 Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom,
and with all your effort work to acquire understanding.
8 Prize her and she will exalt you.
Indeed, if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will present to you a crown of beauty.”
10 Listen, my son: accept my words,
and you’ll live a long, long time.[a]
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