But the LORD was with Joseph. He extended gracious love to him, causing the prison warden to be pleased with Joseph.

"We had a dream," they replied, "but there's no one to interpret it." "Interpretations belong to God," Joseph told them, "so please tell me your stories."

But keep me in mind when things go well for you. Be sure to extend kindness to me by remembering me to Pharaoh. Bring me out of this prison,

but he beheaded and hanged the head chef, just as Joseph had interpreted for them.

But all of a sudden they ate up the seven healthy, plump cows! Then Pharaoh woke up.

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.

"We each related our dreams, and then he interpreted them for us. He provided specific meanings for each of our dreams. And what he interpreted for each of us came true! Pharaoh restored me to my responsibilities, but he executed the other man."

"I've had a dream," Pharaoh told Joseph, "but nobody can interpret it. I've heard that you can interpret dreams."

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

But those thin, gaunt cows gobbled up the first seven healthy cows!

But the thin ears gobbled up the seven good ears. I told all this to my advisors, but nobody was able to explain it to me."

but after them seven years of famine are ahead, during which all of the abundance will be forgotten throughout the land of Egypt. The famine will ravage the land so severely that

Pharaoh also told Joseph, "I'm still Pharaoh, but without your permission nobody in all of the land of Egypt will so much as lift up their hands or take a step!"

the seven years of famine started, just as Joseph had predicted. It was an international famine, but there was food everywhere throughout the land of Egypt.

As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he knew who they were, but he remained disguised and asked them gruffly, "Where are you from?" "From the land of Canaan," they replied. "We're here to buy food."

But Joseph had already recognized his brothers, even though they had not recognized him.

But Joseph kept insisting, "It's just as I've said you've come here to spy on our unguarded territories!"

"But your majesty," they pleaded, "your servants include twelve brothers, the sons of a common father back in the land of Canaan. Please! Our youngest brother remains with our father, and the other one is no longer alive."

"Didn't I tell you!" Reuben replied. ""Don't wrong the kid!' I said, but would you listen? No! Now it's payback time!"

When he returned, he spoke with them, but then he took Simeon away from them and had him placed under arrest right in front of them. After this, Joseph gave orders to fill up their sacks with grain, to return each man's money to his own sack, and to supply each of them with provisions for their return journey. All of this was done for them.

But we told him, "No! We're honest men! We're not spies!

Our father has twelve sons, but one of us isn't alive anymore, and our youngest brother is with our father today back home in Canaan.'

But the man who was in charge of the land responded, "I'm going to test your honesty. Leave one of your brothers with me, take some grain for the famine that's afflicting your households, and leave.

But bring your youngest brother back to me so I can be sure that you're honest men, and not spies. Then I'll return your brother to you, and you'll be allowed to trade anywhere in the land.'"

But Jacob replied, "My son isn't going back with you, since his brother is dead and he's the only one left. If something should harm him as you travel, then it'll be death for me and my sad, gray hair!"

But Judah reminded him, "The man distinctly warned us: "You'll never see my face unless your brother comes with you.'

But if you don't send him, we're not going, because the man told us, "You'll never see my face unless your brother is with you.'"

We've also brought along some more money to buy supplies, but we don't know who put our money back into our sacks."

"Far be it from me to do this," Joseph responded. "The man in whose possession the cup was discovered will be my slave, but the rest of you may leave in peace to be with your father."

But Judah approached him and begged him, "Your Excellency, please allow your servant to speak to you privately. Please don't be angry with your servant, since you are equal to Pharaoh.

"But then you ordered your servants, "Bring him here to me so I can see him for myself.'

But then you told your servants, "Unless your youngest brother comes back with you, you won't see my face again.'

"But we told him, "We can't go back there. If our youngest brother accompanies us, we'll go back, but we cannot see the man's face again unless our youngest brother accompanies us.'

Joseph blurted out, "I'm Joseph! Is my father really alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, because they had become terrified to be in his presence.

"I'm your brother Joseph, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt!" he told them. "But don't be distressed or angry at yourselves because you sold me here, because God sent me ahead of you all in order to deliver us.

As a result, it wasn't you who sent me here, but God himself! He established me as a father-figure to Pharaoh himself! I'm in charge of his entire palace and ruler over the entire land of Egypt.

He gave each of them some changes of clothes, but he also gave Benjamin 300 pieces of silver and five changes of clothes.

where they informed their father, "Joseph is still alive! As a matter of fact, he's ruling the entire land of Egypt." But Jacob didn't believe them, because he had become cynical.

But Joseph addressed his brothers and his father's household and told them, "I'll go up and tell Pharaoh that my brothers and my father's household have arrived from Canaan to be with me.

"I'm 130 years old," Jacob replied. "My years have turned out to be few and unpleasant, but I haven't yet reached the age my ancestors did during their travels on earth."

Your descendants are to be reckoned as yours, but are to be referred to among the names of their brothers in their respective inheritances.

But Israel stretched out his right hand, laying it on Ephraim's head (he was the younger son) and laying his left hand on Manasseh's head (even though Manasseh was the firstborn).

But Joseph observed that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim's head. That displeased him, so he grabbed his father's hand and started to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

But his father refused. "I know," he said. "I know. He's going to produce a large nation, and he's going to be very great. However, his younger brother will become even greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations."

By doing this, he placed Ephraim before Manasseh. Then Israel told Joseph, "Pay attention! I'm about to die, but God will be with you. He'll bring you back to the land that belongs to your ancestors.

But you're as undisciplined as a roaring river, so eventually you won't succeed, because you got in your father's bed, defiled it, and then approached my couch."

"Bandits will raid Gad, but Gad will raid them back."

As far as you're concerned, you were planning evil against me, but God intended it for good, planning to bring about the present result so that many people would be preserved alive.

Later, Joseph told his brothers, "I'm going to die soon, but God will certainly provide for you and bring you up from this land to the land that he promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

But the Israelis were fruitful and increased abundantly. They multiplied in numbers and became very, very strong. As a result, the land was filled with them.

But the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelis, the more they multiplied and flourished, so that the Egyptians became terrified of the Israelis.

"When you help the Hebrew women give birth," he said, "watch them as they deliver. If it's a son, kill him; but if it's a daughter, let her live."

But the midwives feared God and didn't do what the king of Egypt told them. Instead, they let the boys live.

Meanwhile, Pharaoh continued commanding all of his people, "You're to throw every Hebrew son who is born into the Nile River, but you're to allow every Hebrew daughter to live."

But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus container, coated it with asphalt and pitch, placed the child in it, and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

Some shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses got up, came to their rescue, and watered their sheep.

the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flaming fire from the center of a bush. As Moses continued to watch, amazingly the bush kept on burning, but was not consumed.

But Moses told God, "Who am I? How can I go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelis out of Egypt?"

But if they don't believe even these two signs, and won't listen to you, then take some water out of the Nile River and pour it on the dry ground. The water you took from the Nile River will turn into blood on the dry ground."

Then the LORD told Moses, "When you set out to return to Egypt, keep in mind all the wonders that I've put in your power, so that you may do them before Pharaoh. But I'll harden his heart so that he won't let the people go.

But later on, at the lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

But you're to impose the previous quota of bricks that they're making. You're not to reduce it! It is because they're lazy that they're crying out, "Let's go offer sacrifices to our God.'

Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won't be reduced at all.'"

Now, go! Get to work! And straw won't be given to you, but you are to deliver the same number of bricks!"

Then Moses reported this to the Israelis, but they did not listen to Moses due to their irritation and impatience because there was no deliverance and because of the cruel bondage.

So each one threw down his staff and it became a serpent, but Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

Then say to him, "The LORD God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, "Let my people go so they may serve me in the desert, but until now you haven't obeyed."'

But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their secret arts. Pharaoh's heart was stubborn, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

But the magicians did the same thing with their secret arts, and they brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.

The magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but they were unable to bring out the gnats. The gnats were on the people and the animals.

The magicians told Pharaoh, "It is the finger of God!" But Pharaoh's heart was stubborn and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.

But if you don't let my people go, I'll send swarms of insects upon you, your servants, your people, and your households. The houses of Egypt and even the ground on which they stand will be filled with swarms of insects.

Then Pharaoh said, "I'll let you go so you can offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert. But you must not go very far away. Pray for me."

Moses said, "Right now I'm going to leave you, and I'll pray to the LORD that the swarms of insects may depart from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people tomorrow. But Pharaoh, don't continue lying by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."

But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart, and he did not let the people go.

But if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,

The LORD did this thing the next day, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died. But not one of the livestock died that belonged to the Israelis.

Then Pharaoh inquired and discovered that not a single one of the livestock of Israel had died, but Pharaoh's heart was stubborn and he would not let the people go.

But whoever did not pay attention to the message from the LORD left his servants and his livestock outside in the fields.

Pharaoh sent word and called for Moses and Aaron. "I've sinned this time," he told them. "The LORD is righteous, but I and my people are wicked.

But as for you and your officials, I know that you don't yet fear the LORD God."

But if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I'm going to bring locusts into your territory.

Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh and he told them, "Go, serve the LORD your God. But exactly who will go?"

But the LORD made Pharaoh's heart stubborn and he would not let the Israelis go.

No one could see anyone else, nor could anyone get up from his place for three days. But there was light for all the Israelis in their dwellings.

Pharaoh called Moses and said, "Go serve the LORD, but your flocks and your cattle are to remain. Even your little ones can go with you!"

But among the Israelis, from people to animals, not even a dog will bark, so you may know that the LORD is distinguishing between the Egyptians and the Israelis.'

Moses and Aaron did all these wonders in front of Pharaoh, but the LORD made Pharaoh's heart stubborn, and he would not let the Israelis go out from his land.

you are to say, "It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelis in Egypt when he struck down the Egyptians but spared our houses.'" Then the people bowed down and worshipped.

But no temporary resident or a hired servant is to eat it.

If an alien who resides with you wants to observe the Passover to the LORD, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may come near to observe it. He is to be like a native of the land, but no uncircumcised person is to eat it.

And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of humans to the firstborn of animals. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD every male that first opens the womb, but I redeem every firstborn of my sons.

I've made Pharaoh's heart stubborn so he will pursue them. But I'll receive honor by means of Pharaoh and his army, so that the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So this is what the Israelis did.

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the water returned to its normal depth at daybreak. The Egyptians tried to retreat in front of the advancing water, but the LORD destroyed the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.

But the Israelis walked through the middle of the sea on dry land, and the water stood like a wall for them on their right and on their left.

When the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen went into the sea, the LORD caused the waters of the sea to come back over them, but the Israelis walked through the middle of the sea on dry land.

Moses also said, "When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread in the morning to satisfy you, the LORD will hear your complaints directed against him. Who are we? Your complaints aren't against us, but rather against the LORD."

But they did not listen to Moses some people left part of it until morning, and it produced maggots and smelled bad, so Moses got angry at them.

For six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there won't be any."