Thus Jacob stole away unawares to Laban, the Syrian, - in that he had not told him that he was about to flee.

Now Rachel, had taken the household gods and put them in the basket-saddle of the camel, and taken her seat upon them. And Laban felt about throughout all the tent, and found them not.

Now that thou hast felt about among all my goods, what hast thou found of the goods of thine own house? Set it out here, right before my brethren and thy brethren, - that they may give sentence betwixt us two.

"Please," Jacob inquired, "Tell me your name." But he asked, "Why are you asking about my name?" And he blessed Jacob there.

Then Shechem's father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah.

Jacob’s sons returned from the field when they heard about the incident and were deeply grieved and angry. For Shechem had committed an outrage against Israel by raping Jacob’s daughter, and such a thing should not be done.

Live with us. The land is before you. Settle here, move about, and acquire property in it.”

“These men are peaceful toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and move about in it, for indeed, the region is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as our wives and give our daughters to them.

Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male.

And they journeyed; and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.

While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.

Jacob had 12 sons:

These are the family records of Jacob.

At 17 years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers. The young man was working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought a bad report about them to their father.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more.

"Let me tell you about this dream that I had!" he said.

And behold, we binding sheaves in the midst of the field; and behold, my sheaf arose, and also stood; and behold your sheaves will turn about and will worship to my sheaf.

But then he had another dream, and he proceeded to tell his brothers about that one, too. "I had another dream," he said. "The sun, moon, and eleven of the stars were bowing down before me!"

When Joseph told his father about this, his father rebuked him and asked him, "What kind of dream is that? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come to you and bow down to the ground in front of you?"

As a result, his brothers became more envious of him. But his father kept thinking about all of this.

Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

And a man found him, and to! he was wandering about in the field, so the man asked him saying - What seekest thou?

When Reuben heard about it, he tried to save Joseph from their plot. "Let's not do any killing,"

So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him;

And they sat them down to eat bread. And as they lift up their eyes and looked about, there came a company of Ishmaelites from Gilead, and their camels laden with spicery, balm, and myrrh, and were going down into Egypt.

And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth about his loins, and sorrowed for his son a long season.

Right about then, Judah left his brothers and went to live with an Adullamite man named Hirah.

About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law, Tamar, has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant.”

“Bring her out!” Judah said. “Let her be burned to death!”

When, she, was about to be brought forth, then, she herself, sent unto her father-in-law saying, By the man to whom these belong, have I, conceived! And she said - Examine, I pray thee, to whom belong the signet-ring, and the guard, and the staff - these!

It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.

And as she travailed, the one put out his hand and the midwife took and bound a red thread about it, saying, "This will come out first."

But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named Perez.

And afterward came out his brother that had the red thread about his hand, which was called Zerah.

It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field.

Everything that he owned, he entrusted into Joseph's care. He never concerned himself about anything, except for the food he ate.

It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”

But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me in the house, my master does not concern himself with anything; he has put everything that he owns in my charge.

And it will be about this day, and he will come into the house to do his work: and no man from the men of the house there in the house.

The prison warden did not have to worry about anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with him. That's why Joseph prospered in everything he did.

Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt.

Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.

Yet [even after all that] the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot [all about] him.

The very next morning, he was frustrated about the dream, so he sent word to summon all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them what he had dreamed, but no one could interpret them.

And it came to pass, just as he interpreted to us, so it came about: me has he restored to my office, and him he hanged.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.”

"I can't do that," Joseph replied, "but God is concerned about Pharaoh's well-being."

Later, I also dreamed about seven plump, fruit-filled ears of grain that grew up out of a single stalk.

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

“It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.

So shall the food become a store for the land, for the seven years of famine which shall come about in the land of Egypt, - and the land shall not be cut off in the famine.

And Pharaoh will remove his signet ring from his hand, and will give it upon Joseph's hand; and will put upon him a white garment, and will put a gold collar about his neck.

Now Joseph [had been in Egypt thirteen years and] was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Joseph departed from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt [performing his duties].

And he will gather all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and he will give the food in the cities: the food of the field of the city which round about her, he gave in the midst of her.

Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land.”

And they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty regarding our brother [Joseph], because we saw the distress and anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us [to let him go], yet we would not listen [to his cry]; so this distress and anguish has come on us.”

And he will turn about from them, and will weep; and he will turn back to them and speak to them, and he will take from them Simeon, and will bind him before their eyes.

But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are honest men and not spies. Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.'"

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.

So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”

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

and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand.

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

When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

Joseph hurried out because he was overcome with emotion for his brother, and he was about to weep. He went into an inner room to weep.

Now Joseph’s brothers were seated [by the steward] before him [in the order of their birth]—the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in astonishment [because so much was known about them].

Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

And Joseph could no longer refrain before all them that stood about him, but commanded that they should go all out from him, and that there should be no man with him, while he uttered himself unto his brethren.

Joseph wept aloud, and the Egyptians [who had just left him] heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it.

Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.”

Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you (your people) up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes [to close them at the time of your death].”

That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

And Pharaoh said unto Jacob: About how many, have been the days of the years of thy life?

Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

and said unto me - Behold me! about to make thee fruitful, so will I multiply thee, and give thee to become a multitude of peoples, - so will I give this land to thy seed after thee, as an age-abiding possession.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Then he commanded them: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

my father made me take an oath, saying, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me there in the tomb that I made for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.”

You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”