Genesis 41- 45

Chapters:   41  42  43  44  45

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GENESIS 41

41:1 ¶ And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed; and behold, he stood by the river.
41:2 And behold, there came up out of the river seven wellfavored cows, and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
41:3 And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, illfavored and leanfleshed, and stood by the other cows upon the brink of the river.
41:4 And the illfavored and leanfleshed cows ate up the seven wellfavored and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.
41:5 And he slept and dreamed the second time; and behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
41:6 And behold, seven thin ears, blasted with the east wind sprang up after them.
41:7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof. And Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
41:9 ¶ Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, "I do remember my faults this day.
41:10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me under guard in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker.
41:11 And we dreamed a dream one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
41:12 And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. To each man according to his dream he did interpret.
41:13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was: me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged."
41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
41:15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it."
41:16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace."
41:17 ¶ And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river.
41:18 And behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, fatfleshed and wellfavored, and they fed in a meadow.
41:19 And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very illfavored and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness.
41:20 And the lean and the illfavored cows ate up the first seven fat cows;
41:21 and when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them, but they were still illfavored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
41:22 And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good;
41:23 and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind sprang up after them.
41:24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. And I told this unto the magicians, but there was none that could declare it to me."
41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one. God hath shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
41:26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years: the dreams are one.
41:27 And the seven thin and illfavored cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
41:28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do He showeth unto Pharaoh.
41:29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.
41:30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine shall consume the land.
41:31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following, for it shall be very grievous.
41:32 And for that the dream was repeated unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
41:33 ¶ Now therefore let Pharaoh seek out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
41:34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up a fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
41:35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
41:36 And that food shall be for store for the land against the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land perish not through the famine."
41:37 And the counsel was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.
41:38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?"
41:39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "Inasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art.
41:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled. Only in the throne will I be greater than thou."
41:41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt."
41:42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.
41:43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, "Bow the knee!" And he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
41:44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."
41:45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him for a wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
41:46 ¶ And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
41:47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
41:48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
41:49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea--very much, until he left off numbering; for it was without number.
41:50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, bore unto him.
41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh that is, Forgetting, "For God," said he, "hath made me forget all my toil and all my father's house."
41:52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim that is, Fruitful, "For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."
41:53 And the seven years of plenteousness, which were in the land of Egypt, were ended.
41:54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said; and the dearth was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
41:55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, "Go unto Joseph. What he saith to you, do."
41:56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth; and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold unto the Egyptians. And the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn, because the famine was so sore in all lands.

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GENESIS 42

42:1 ¶ Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, "Why do ye look one upon another?"
42:2 And he said, "Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Go down thither and buy for us from thence, that we may live and not die."
42:3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
42:4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, for he said, "Lest perhaps mischief befall him."
42:5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
42:6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was who sold to all the people of the land; and Joseph's brethren came and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
42:7 ¶ And Joseph saw his brethren, and he recognized them, but made himself as a stranger unto them and spoke roughly unto them; and he said unto them, "From whence come ye?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food." 42:8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
42:9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said unto them, "Ye are spies! To see the nakedness of the land ye have come!"
42:10 And they said unto him, "Nay, my lord, but to buy food have thy servants come.
42:11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies."
42:12 And he said unto them, "Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye have come."
42:13 And they said, "Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more."
42:14 And Joseph said unto them, "That is it that I spoke unto you, saying, `Ye are spies!'
42:15 Hereby ye shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, unless your youngest brother come hither.
42:16 Send one of you and let him fetch your brother; and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested, whether there be any truth in you; or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies!"
42:17 And he put them all together into custody three days.
42:18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, "This do, and live, for I fear God:
42:19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the prison house. Go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses.
42:20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die." And they did so.
42:21 ¶ And they said one to another, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear. Therefore has this distress come upon us."
42:22 And Reuben answered them, saying, "Spoke I not unto you, saying, `Do not sin against the child'; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required."
42:23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them, for he spoke unto them by an interpreter.
42:24 And he turned himself away from them and wept; and returned to them again and communed with them, and took from them Simeon and bound him before their eyes.
42:25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus did he unto them.
42:26 And they laded their asses with the corn and departed thence.
42:27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender at the inn, he espied his money; for behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
42:28 And he said unto his brethren, "My money is restored; and lo, it is even in my sack." And their heart failed them and they were afraid, saying one to another, "What is this that God hath done unto us?"
42:29 ¶ And they came unto Jacob their father, unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell them, saying,
42:30 "The man who is the lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
42:31 And we said unto him, `We are true men; we are no spies.
42:32 We are twelve brethren, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.'
42:33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, `Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: Leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone;
42:34 and bring your youngest brother unto me. Then shall I know that ye are not spies, but that ye are true men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.'"
42:35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
42:36 And Jacob their father said unto them, "Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and ye will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me."
42:37 And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying, "Slay my two sons if I bring him not to thee. Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again."
42:38 And he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."

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GENESIS 43

43:1 ¶ And the famine was sore in the land.
43:2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, "Go again, buy us a little food."
43:3 And Judah spoke unto him, saying, "The man did solemnly declare unto us, saying, `Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.'
43:4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food.
43:5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down, for the man said unto us, `Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.'"
43:6 And Israel said, "Why dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?"
43:7 And they said, "The man asked us strictly about our state, and about our kindred, saying, `Is your father yet alive? Have ye another brother?' And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we certainly know that he would say, `Bring your brother down'?"
43:8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and also our little ones.
43:9 I will be surety for him; from my hand shalt thou require him. If I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever;
43:10 for had we not lingered, surely now we would have returned this second time."
43:11 ¶ And their father Israel said unto them, "If it must be so now, do this: Take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds.
43:12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand. Perhaps it was an oversight.
43:13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man;
43:14 and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved!"
43:15 ¶ And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
43:16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, "Bring these men home, and slay a beast and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon."
43:17 And the man did as Joseph bade, and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
43:18 And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, "Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time are we brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and also our asses."
43:19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house
43:20 and said, "O sir, we came indeed down the first time to buy food.
43:21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; and we have brought it again in our hand.
43:22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food. We cannot tell who put our money in our sacks."
43:23 And he said, "Peace be to you, fear not; your God and the God of your father hath given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money." And he brought Simeon out unto them.
43:24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
43:25 And they made ready the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
43:26 ¶ And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves before him to the earth.
43:27 And he asked them of their welfare and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?"
43:28 And they answered, "Thy servant our father is in good health; he is yet alive." And they bowed down their heads and made obeisance.
43:29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your younger brother of whom ye spoke unto me?" And he said, "God be gracious unto thee, my son."
43:30 And Joseph made haste, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he sought somewhere to weep; and he entered into his chamber and wept there.
43:31 And he washed his face and went out, and restrained himself, and said, "Set on the bread."
43:32 And they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
43:33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marveled one at another.
43:34 And he took and sent portions unto them from before him, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

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GENESIS 44

44:1 ¶ And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in the mouth of his sack.
44:2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money." And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
44:3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
44:4 And when they had gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, "Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, `Why have ye rewarded evil for good?
44:5 Is not this that from which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? Ye have done evil in so doing.'"
44:6 And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these same words.
44:7 And they said unto him, "Why saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing!
44:8 Behold, the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan. How then would we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
44:9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen."
44:10 And he said, "Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant, and ye shall be blameless."
44:11 Then every man speedily took down his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
44:12 And he searched, and began with the eldest and ended with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
44:13 Then they rent their clothes; and every man loaded his ass, and returned to the city.
44:14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house (for he was yet there), and they fell before him on the ground.
44:15 And Joseph said unto them, "What deed is this that ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?"
44:16 And Judah said, "What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also with whom the cup was found."
44:17 And he said, "God forbid that I should do so; but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, go up in peace unto your father."
44:18 ¶ Then Judah came near unto him and said, "Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.
44:19 My lord asked his servants, saying, `Have ye a father or a brother?'
44:20 And we said unto my lord, `We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.'
44:21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, `Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.'
44:22 And we said unto my lord, `The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'
44:23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, `Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.'
44:24 And it came to pass, when we came up unto thy servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord.
44:25 And our father said, `Go again, and buy us a little food.'
44:26 And we said, `We cannot go down. If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'
44:27 And thy servant, my father, said unto us, `Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;
44:28 and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces"; and I saw him not since.
44:29 And if ye take this also from me, and harm befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.'
44:30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father and the lad be not with us, seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life,
44:31 it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
44:32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, `If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.'
44:33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant remain instead of the lad as a bondman to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren.
44:34 For how shall I go up to my father and the lad be not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that shall come upon my father?"

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GENESIS 45

45:1 ¶ Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, "Cause every man to go out from me!" And there stood no man with him while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
45:2 And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
45:3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, "I am Joseph. Doth my father yet live?" And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence.
45:4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, "Come near to me, I pray you." And they came near; and he said, "I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
45:5 Now therefore be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
45:6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land, and yet there are five years in which there shall neither be planting nor harvest.
45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
45:9 Hasten ye, and go up to my father and say unto him, `Thus saith thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of all Egypt. Come down unto me, tarry not;
45:10 and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me--thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks and thy herds and all that thou hast.
45:11 And there will I nourish thee (for yet there are five years of famine), lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast come to poverty.'
45:12 And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
45:13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall make haste and bring down my father hither."
45:14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
45:15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren talked with him.
45:16 ¶ And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, "Joseph's brethren have come"; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
45:17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "Say unto thy brethren, `This do ye: Load your beasts and go, get you unto the land of Canaan.
45:18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.'
45:19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye: `Take with you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
45:20 Also, regard not your possessions, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.'"
45:21 And the children of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
45:22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
45:23 And to his father he sent in this manner: ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten sheasses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father on the way.
45:24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and he said unto them, "See that ye fall not out on the way."
45:25 ¶ And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
45:26 and told him, saying, "Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.
45:27 And they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
45:28 And Israel said, "It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive! I will go and see him before I die."

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