Genesis 43

¹⁰Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.

⁵So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.

⁵⁴the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.

⁵⁵When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

¹So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.

²It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.

¹¹Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.

¹²When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.

¹⁰Our skin is as hot as an oven with fever from our hunger.

⁶Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.

⁷For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.

¹⁶She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.

²⁰“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with turmoil.

¹When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

²“Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

²³But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’

⁵But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

¹³“Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”

³²“Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”

²⁵Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again.

³³Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.

³⁴But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”

³⁸But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

²⁶But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’

¹²Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

³But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’

¹³But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

²⁷He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”

²“Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

⁶Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”

³⁸But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

²⁶But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’

²¹Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.

³¹But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it.

³⁷Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

²²Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

¹⁸But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.

¹⁹I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

³²Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’

³³Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.

³⁹I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night.

¹²²Ensure Your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant oppress me.

¹⁶But when Lot hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters. And they led them safely out of the city, because of the Lord’s compassion for them.

²⁵And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.

²²Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?

¹⁶A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.

⁷“If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”

¹⁷Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith, cakes and honey, oil and balm for your merchandise.

¹²At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness.

²⁵Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,

³⁵As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.

⁸Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

²¹For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.

³⁸But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

¹⁶“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”

¹When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.

¹⁴When he would not be dissuaded, we quieted down and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

¹¹O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king.)

⁷When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.

¹⁴And Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

¹Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.

¹⁹So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.

⁵⁴Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

⁴Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.

⁵From the time that he put Joseph in charge of his household and all he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s household on account of him. The Lord’s blessing was on everything he owned, both in his house and in his field.

²But Abram replied, “O Lord God, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

²She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.

³⁵As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.

⁴(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)

¹⁶When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight

²¹Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.

²⁶When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

²⁸“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

³So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

¹⁰“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.

³But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’

³⁵As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.

⁷They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

²⁷At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.

¹²Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.

¹⁶keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.

⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

¹⁵So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.

¹⁸Pray for us; we are convinced that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.

²⁴And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.

²⁶Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

²⁷Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

³⁶While they were describing these events, Jesus Himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

²¹Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”

²⁸“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

⁴Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.

³²So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of his companions.

²and said, “My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”

⁴⁴And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

⁴So He got up from the supper, laid aside His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist.

⁵After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.

¹¹Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

¹⁶When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”

¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

⁶Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

²⁹May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.”

¹⁹“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.

²⁰“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”

⁹May the nomads bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust.

¹¹It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.”

¹³But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

¹⁰he sent his son Hadoram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze,

¹⁶“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”

¹⁵So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.

¹⁴Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,

⁷So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.

⁷We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”

²⁶When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.

⁹Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

¹⁰He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”

⁷So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.

²On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him homage.

¹⁷After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.

¹³But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

²⁵may the Lord cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

²²Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,

²³and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.

²⁴And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

⁹“But ask now for God’s favor. Will He be gracious? Since this has come from your hands, will He show you favor?” asks the Lord of Hosts.

¹⁹So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

²⁴And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.

²⁰Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the Lord.

¹Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

³⁴“Where have you put him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered.

¹⁴Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced.

¹⁵Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.

²⁶Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”

¹Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!” So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.

¹⁰For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

¹⁴“I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.

¹⁶This is what the Lord says: “Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come, declares the Lord. Then your children will return from the land of the enemy.

²⁶But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us?

³⁴you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

¹⁶When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”

⁵⁴Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

²²He gave new garments to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes.

⁵But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the Lord had closed her womb.

⁸Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.

¹⁰and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!”

¹⁹A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.

⁶Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul.