He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel because there God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him.

God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name." So God named him Israel.

Then God said to him, "I am the sovereign God. Be fruitful and multiply! A nation -- even a company of nations -- will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants!

Then God went up from the place where he spoke with him.

So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it.

Jacob named the place where God spoke with him Bethel.

The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a young goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood.

He replied, "I'll send you a young goat from the flock." She asked, "Will you give me a pledge until you send it?"

Then Judah had his friend Hirah the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, but Hirah could not find her.

Judah said, "Let her keep the things for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn't find her."

So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph's care; he gave no thought to anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built and good-looking.

There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?"

They told him, "We both had dreams, but there is no one to interpret them." Joseph responded, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me."

Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, healthy and good.

Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "It is not within my power, but God will speak concerning the welfare of Pharaoh."

I also saw in my dream seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good.

The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning."

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning.

This is just what I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

The dream was repeated to Pharaoh because the matter has been decreed by God, and God will make it happen soon.

They should gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh's authority they should store up grain so the cities will have food, and they should preserve it.

So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?"

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning as you are!

Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, "Certainly God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's house."

He named the second child Ephraim, saying, "Certainly God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

One of you must go and get your brother, while the rest of you remain in prison. In this way your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!"

On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do as I say and you will live, for I fear God.

When one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack.

He said to his brothers, "My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!" They were dismayed; they turned trembling one to another and said, "What in the world has God done to us?"

May the sovereign God grant you mercy before the man so that he may release your other brother and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them."

"Everything is fine," the man in charge of Joseph's household told them. "Don't be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

They got their gifts ready for Joseph's arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to have a meal there.

When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?" Then he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son."

They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to the servant who was over his household, "Pursue the men at once! When you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil?

Judah replied, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has exposed the sin of your servants! We are now my lord's slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found."

Then Judah approached him and said, "My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you. Please do not get angry with your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh.

Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life!

God sent me ahead of you to preserve you on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Now go up to my father quickly and tell him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: "God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay!

Get your father and your households and come to me! Then I will give you the best land in Egypt and you will eat the best of the land.'

So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had. When he came to Beer Sheba he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob!" He replied, "Here I am!"

He said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.

The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their horses, the livestock of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. He got them through that year by giving them food in exchange for livestock.

Jacob said to Joseph, "The sovereign God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.

Joseph said to his father, "They are the sons God has given me in this place." His father said, "Bring them to me so I may bless them."

Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see you again, but now God has allowed me to see your children too."

Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked -- the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,

So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you will Israel bless, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

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

You are destructive like water and will not excel, for you got on your father's bed, then you defiled it -- he got on my couch!

When he sees a good resting place, and the pleasant land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and become a slave laborer.

Gad will be raided by marauding bands, but he will attack them at their heels.

because of the God of your father, who will help you, because of the sovereign God, who will bless you with blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and womb.

Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.' Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father." When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept.

But Joseph answered them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?

As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to you and lead you up from this land to the land he swore on oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, "God will surely come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place."