26 Judah asked his brothers, "What will we gain by killing our brother and covering up his death? 27 Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites. Let's not hurt him, because he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed.

28 As the Midianite merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. The Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.

29 When Reuben came back to the cistern and saw that Joseph was no longer there, he tore his clothes in grief. 30 He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! What am I going to do?"

31 So they took Joseph's robe, killed a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 Then they brought the special robe with long sleeves to their father and said, "We found this. You better examine it to see whether it's your son's robe or not."

33 He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! A wild animal has eaten him! Joseph must have been torn to pieces!" 34 Then, to show his grief, Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son a long time. 35 All his other sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, "No, I will mourn for my son until I die." This is how Joseph's father cried over him.

36 Meanwhile, in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials and captain of the guard.

Judah's Sin with Tamar 38 1 About that time Judah left his brothers and went to stay with a man from Adullam whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man whose name was Shua. He married her and slept with her. 3 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son nameda Er. 4 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, whom she named Onan. 5 Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah. He was born at Kezib.

6 Judah chose a wife for his firstborn son Er. Her name was Tamar. 7 Er angered Yahweh. So Yahweh took away his life. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Go sleep with your brother's widow. Do your duty for her as a brother-in-law, and produce a descendant for your brother." 9 But Onan knew that the descendant wouldn't belong to him, so whenever he slept with his brother's widow, he wasted his semen on the ground to avoid giving his brother a descendant. 10 What Onan did angered Yahweh so much that Yahweh took away Onan's life too.

11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Return to your father's home. Live as a widow until my son Shelah grows up." He thought that this son, too, might die like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her father's home.

12 After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah from Adullam went to Timnah where the men were shearing Judah's sheep. 13 As soon as Tamar was told that her father-in-law was on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep, 14 she took off her widow's clothes, covered her face with a veil, and disguised herself. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. (She did this because she realized that Shelah was grown up now, and she hadn't been given to him in marriage.) 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face. 16 Since he didn't know she was his daughter-in-law, he approached her by the roadside and said, "Come on, let's sleep together!"

She asked, "What will you pay to sleep with me?"

17 "I'll send you a young goat from the flock," he answered.

She said, "First give me something as a deposit until you send it."

18 "What should I give you as a deposit?" he asked.

"Your signet ring, its cord, and the shepherd's staff that's in your hand," she answered.

So he gave them to her. Then he slept with her, and she became pregnant. 19 After she got up and left, she took off her veil and put her widow's clothes back on.

20 Judah sent his friend Hirah to deliver the young goat so that he could get backhis deposit from the woman, but his friend couldn't find her. 21 He asked the men of that area, "Where's that prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?"

"There's no prostitute here," they answered.

22 So he went back to Judah and said, "I couldn't find her. Even the men of that area said, 'There's no prostitute here.'"

23 Then Judah said, "Let her keep what I gave her, or we'll become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you couldn't find her."

24 About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has been acting like a prostitute. What's more, because of it she's pregnant."

Judah ordered, "Bring her out to be burned."

25 As she was brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, "I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things. See if you recognize whose signet ring, cord, and shepherd's staff these are."

26 Judah recognized them and said, "She's not guilty. I am! She did this because I haven't given her my son Shelah." Judah never made love to her again.

27 The time came for Tamar to give birth, and she had twin boys. 28 When she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. The midwife took a piece of red yarn, tied it on his wrist, and said, "This one came out first." 29 As he pulled back his hand, his brother was born. So she said, "Is this how you burst into the world!" He was named Perez [Bursting Into]. 30 After that his brother was born with the red yarn on his hand. He was named Zerah [Sunrise].

Joseph in Potiphar's House 39 1 Joseph had been taken to Egypt. Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's Egyptian officials and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

2 Yahweh was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. He worked in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 Joseph's master saw that Yahweh was with him and that Yahweh made everything he did successful. 4 Potiphar liked Joseph so much that he made him his trusted servant. He put him in charge of his household and everything he owned. 5 From that time on Yahweh blessed the Egyptian's household because of Joseph. Therefore, Yahweh's blessing was on everything Potiphar owned in his house and in his fields. 6 So he left all that he owned in Joseph's care. He wasn't concerned about anything except the food he ate.

Joseph was well-built and handsome. 7 After a while his master's wife began to desire Joseph, so she said, "Come to bed with me."

8 But Joseph refused and said to her, "My master doesn't concern himself with anything in the house. He trusts me with everything he owns. 9 No one in this house is greater than I. He's kept nothing back from me except you, because you're his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against Elohim ?" 10 Although she kept asking Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or be with her.

11 One day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there. 12 She grabbed him by his clothes and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he ran outside and left his clothes in her hand.

13 When she realized that he had gone but had left his clothes behind, 14 she called her household servants and said to them, "Look! My husband brought this Hebrew here to fool around with us. He came in and tried to go to bed with me, but I screamed as loud as I could. 15 As soon as he heard me scream, he ran outside and left his clothes with me."

16 She kept Joseph's clothes with her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him the same story: "The Hebrew slave you brought here came in and tried to fool around with me. 18 But when I screamed, he ran outside and left his clothes with me."

19 When Potiphar heard his wife's story, especially when she said, "This is what your slave did to me," he became very angry. 20 So Joseph's master arrested him and put him in the same prison where the king's prisoners were kept.

While Joseph was in prison, 21 Yahweh was with him. Yahweh reached out to him with his unchanging love and gave him protection. Yahweh also put Joseph on good terms with the warden. 22 So the warden placed Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in that prison. Joseph became responsible for everything that they were doing. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care because Yahweh was with Joseph and made whatever he did successful.

Joseph

Jacob's favorite son, Joseph, was sold into slavery by his brothers. With all its twists and turns, his is one of the best-known stories in the Bible. Joseph called God Elohim (Gen. 39:9)

Joseph in Prison 40 1 Later the king's cupbearera and his baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his chief cupbearer and his chief baker. 3 He put them in the prison of the captain of the guard, the same place where Joseph was a prisoner. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them.

After they had been confined for some time, 5 both prisoners-the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt-had dreams one night. Each man had a dream with its own special meaning.

6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were upset. 7 So he asked these officials of Pharaoh who were with him in his master's prison, "Why do you look so unhappy today?"

8 "We both had dreams," they answered him, "but there's no one to tell us what they mean."

"Isn't Elohim the only one who can tell what they mean?" Joseph asked them. "Why don't you tell me all about them."

9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said "In my dream a grapevine with three branches appeared in front of me. 10 Soon after it sprouted it blossomed. Then its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes and squeezed them into it. I put the cup in Pharaoh's hand."

12 "This is what it means," Joseph said to him. "The three branches are three days. 13 In the next three days Pharaoh will release you and restore you to your position. You will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 Remember me when things go well for you, and please do me a favor. Mention me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison. 15 I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I've done nothing to deserve being put in this prison."

16 The chief baker saw that the meaning Joseph had given to the cupbearer's dream was good. So he said to Joseph, "I had a dream too. In my dream three baskets of white baked goods were on my head. 17 The top basket contained all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head."

18 "This is what it means," Joseph replied. "The three baskets are three days. 19 In the next three days Pharaoh will cut off your head and hang your dead body on a pole. The birds will eat the flesh from your bones."

20 Two days later, on his birthday, Pharaoh had a special dinner prepared for all his servants. Of all his servants he gave special attention to the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position. So the cupbearer put the cup in Pharaoh's hand. 22 But he hung the chief baker just as Joseph had said in his interpretation.

23 Nevertheless, the chief cupbearer didn't remember Joseph. He forgot all about him.

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams 41 1 After two full years Pharaoh had a dream. He dreamed he was standing by the Nile River. 2 Suddenly, seven nice-looking, well-fed cows came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. 3 Seven other cows came up from the river behind them. These cows were sickly and skinny. They stood behind the first seven cows on the riverbank. 4 The cows that were sickly and skinny ate the seven nice-looking, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven good, healthy heads of grain were growing on a single stalk. 6 Seven other heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted behind them. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven full, healthy heads. Then Pharaoh woke up. It was only a dream.

8 In the morning he was so upset that he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could tell him what they meant.

9 Then the chief cupbearera spoke to Pharaoh, "I remember a promise I failed to keep.b 10 Some time ago when Pharaoh was angry with his servants, he confined me and the chief baker to the captain of the guard's prison. 11 We both had dreams the same night. Each dream had its own meaning. 12 A young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guard, was with us. We told him our dreams, and he told each of us what they meant. 13 What he told us happened: Pharaoh restored me to my position, but he hung the baker on a pole."

14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and immediately he was brought from the prison. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came in front of Pharaoh.

15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can tell me what it means. I heard that when you are told a dream, you can say what it means."

16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, "I can't, but Elohim can give Pharaoh the answer that he needs."

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile. 18 Suddenly, seven nice-looking, well-fed cows came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. 19 Seven other cows came up behind them. These cows were scrawny, very sick, and thin. I've never seen such sickly cows in all of Egypt! 20 The thin, sickly cows ate up the seven well-fed ones. 21 Even though they had eaten them, no one could tell they had eaten them. They looked just as sick as before. Then I woke up.

22 "In my second dream I saw seven good, full heads of grain growing on a single stalk. 23 Seven other heads of grain, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted behind them. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but no one could tell me what it meant."

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh had the same dream twice. Elohim has told Pharaoh what he's going to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. It's all the same dream. 27 The seven thin, sickly cows that came up behind them are seven years. The seven empty heads of grain scorched by the east wind are also seven years. Seven years of famine are coming.

28 "It's just as I said to Pharaoh. Elohim has shown Pharaoh what he's going to do. 29 Seven years are coming when there will be plenty of food in Egypt. 30 After them will come seven years of famine. People will forget that there was plenty of food in Egypt, and the famine will ruin the land. 31 People won't remember that there once was plenty of food in the land, because the coming famine will be so severe. 32 The reason Pharaoh has had a recurring dream is because the matter has been definitely decided by Elohim, and he will do it very soon.

Joseph Advises Pharaoh 33 "Pharaoh should look for a wise and intelligent man and put him in charge of Egypt. 34 Make arrangements to appoint supervisors over the land to take a fifth of Egypt's harvest during the seven good years. 35 Have them collect all the food during these good years and store up grain under Pharaoh's control, to be kept for food in the cities. 36 This food will be a reserve supply for our country during the seven years of famine that will happen in Egypt. Then the land will not be ruined by the famine."

37 Pharaoh and all his servants liked the idea. 38 So Pharaoh asked his servants, "Can we find anyone like this-a man who has Ruach Elohim in him?"

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Because Elohim has let you know all this, there is no one as wise and intelligent as you. 40 You will be in charge of my palace, and all my people will doa what you say. I will be more important than you, only because I'm Pharaoh."

41 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I now put you in charge of Egypt." 42 Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring and put it on Joseph's finger. He had Joseph dressed in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in the chariot of the second-in-command. Men ran ahead of him and shouted, "Make way!"b Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of Egypt.

44 He also said to Joseph, "Even though I am Pharaoh, no one anywhere in Egypt will do anything without your permission." 45 Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenathpaneah and gave him Asenath as his wife. She was the daughter of Potiphera, priest from the city of On. Joseph traveled around Egypt.

Joseph Serves Pharaoh 46 Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt). He left Pharaoh and traveled all around Egypt. 47 During the seven good years the land produced large harvests. 48 Joseph collected all the food grown in Egypt during those seven years and put this food in the cities. In each city he put the food from the fields around it. 49 Joseph stored up grain in huge quantities like the sand on the seashore. He had so much that he finally gave up keeping any records because he couldn't measure it all.

50 Before the years of famine came, Joseph had two sons by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest from the city of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn son Manasseh [He Helps Me Forget], because Elohim helped him forget all his troubles and all about his father's family. 52 He named the second son Ephraim [Blessed Twice With Children], because Elohim gave him children in the land where he had suffered.

53 The seven years when there was plenty of food in Egypt came to an end. 54 Then the seven years of famine began as Joseph had said they would. All the other countries were experiencing famine. Yet, there was food in Egypt. 55 When everyone in Egypt began to feel the effects of the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. But Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph! Do what he tells you!"

56 When the famine had spread all over the country, Joseph opened all the storehousesc and sold grain to the Egyptians. He did this because the famine was severe in Egypt. 57 The whole world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, since the famine was so severe all over the world.

Jacob [Israel] Sends Ten Sons to Egypt 42 1 When Jacob found out that grain was for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at each other? 2 I've heard there's grain for sale in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us so that we won't starve to death."

3 Ten of Joseph's brothers went to buy grain in Egypt. 4 Jacob wouldn't send Joseph's brother Benjamin with the other brothers, because he was afraid that something would happen to him. 5 Israel's sons left with the others who were going to buy grain, because there was also famine in Canaan.

Joseph Sends Nine of His Brothers Back to Canaan 6 As governor of the country, Joseph was selling grain to everyone. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed in front of him with their faces touching the ground. 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them. But he acted as if he didn't know them and spoke harshly to them. "Where did you come from?" he asked them.

"From Canaan, to buy food," they answered.

8 Even though Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him. 9 Then he remembered the dreams he once had about them. "You're spies!" he said to them, "And you've come to find out where our country is unprotected."

10 "No, sir!" they answered him. "We've come to buy food. 11 We're all sons of one man. We're honest men, not spies."

12 He said to them, "No! You've come to find out where our country is unprotected."

13 They answered him, "We were 12 brothers, sons of one man in Canaan. The youngest brother stayed with our father, and the other one is no longer with us."

14 "It's just as I told you," Joseph said to them. "You're spies! 15 This is how you'll be tested: I solemnly swear, as surely as Pharaoh lives, that you won't leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 One of you must be sent to get your brother while the rest of you stay in prison. We'll see if you're telling the truth. If not, I solemnly swear, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" 17 Then he put them in jail for three days.

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this, and you will live. I, too, fear Elohim. 19 If you are honest men, you will let one of your brothers stay here in prison. The rest of you will go and take grain back to your starving families. 20 But you must bring me your youngest brother. This will show that you've been telling the truth. Then you won't die." So they agreed.

21 They said to each other, "We're surely being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw how troubled he was when he pleaded with us for mercy, but we wouldn't listen. That's why we're in trouble now."

22 Reuben said to them, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen. Now we must pay for this bloodshed."

23 They didn't know that Joseph could understand them, because he was speaking through an interpreter. 24 He stepped away from them to cry. When he could speak to them again, he came back. Then he picked Simeon and had him arrested right in front of their eyes.

25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain. He put each man's money back into his sack and gave them supplies for their trip. After their bags were filled, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

27 At the place where they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to feed his donkey. His money was right inside his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, "My money has been put back! It's right here in my sack!"

They wanted to die. They trembled and turned to each other and asked, "What has Elohim done to us?"

Jacob's [Israel's] Sons Report to Him 29 When they came to their father Jacob in Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30 "The governor of that land spoke harshly to us and treated us like spies. 31 But we said to him, 'We're honest men, not spies. 32 We were 12 brothers, sons of the same father. One is no longer with us. The youngest brother stayed with our father in Canaan.'

33 "Then the governor of that land said to us, 'This is how I'll know that you're honest men: Leave one of your brothers with me. Take food for your starving families and go. 34 But bring me your youngest brother. Then I'll know that you're not spies but honest men. I'll give your brother back to you, and you'll be able to move about freely in this country.'"