Then we will give you our daughters to marry, and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people.

"These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry.

When her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for you are having another son."

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son born to him late in life, and he made a special tunic for him.

When Joseph reached Shechem, a man found him wandering in the field, so the man asked him, "What are you looking for?"

He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are grazing their flocks."

The man said, "They left this area, for I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let's not lay a hand on him, for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers agreed.

So when the Midianite merchants passed by, Joseph's brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites then took Joseph to Egypt.

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days.

All his sons and daughters stood by him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. "No," he said, "I will go to the grave mourning my son." So Joseph's father wept for him.

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

Judah acquired a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar.

Then Judah said to Onan, "Have sexual relations with your brother's wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise up a descendant for your brother."

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's house until Shelah my son grows up." For he thought, "I don't want him to die like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

After some time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

He turned aside to her along the road and said, "Come on! I want to have sex with you." (He did not realize it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, "What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?"

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."

When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, purchased him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there.

From the time Potiphar appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's household for Joseph's sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both in his house and in his fields.

she called for her household servants and said to them, "See, my husband brought in a Hebrew man to us to humiliate us. He tried to have sex with me, but I screamed loudly.

Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, the cupbearer and the baker,

So he asked Pharaoh's officials, who were with him in custody in his master's house, "Why do you look so sad today?"

Now Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh's hand."

In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you did before when you were cupbearer.

But remember me when it goes well for you, and show me kindness. Make mention of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison,

for I really was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon."

In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head."

In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you and impale you on a pole. Then the birds will eat your flesh from you."

On the third day it was Pharaoh's birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He "lifted up" the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants.

He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand,

At the end of two full years Pharaoh had a dream. As he was standing by the Nile,

The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream.

In the morning he was troubled, so he called for all the diviner-priests of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I recall my failures.

Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards -- me and the chief baker.

Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us.

It happened just as he had said to us -- Pharaoh restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker."

Then Pharaoh summoned Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard about you, that you can interpret dreams."

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

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing by the edge of the Nile.

When they had eaten them, no one would have known that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up.

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

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

The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe.

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

"So now Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and give him authority over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh should do this -- he should appoint officials throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

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.

This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine."

This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials.

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!

"See here," Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I place you in authority over all the land of Egypt."

Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph's. He clothed him with fine linen clothes and put a gold chain around his neck.

Pharaoh had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, and they cried out before him, "Kneel down!" So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will move his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt."

Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He also gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.

Now Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by Pharaoh and was in charge of all the land of Egypt.

When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you."

He then said, "Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us so that we may live and not die."

But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "What if some accident happens to him?"

So Israel's sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.

When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger to them and spoke to them harshly. He asked, "Where do you come from?" They answered, "From the land of Canaan, to buy grain for food."

But they exclaimed, "No, my lord! Your servants have come to buy grain for food!

You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

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!"

He imprisoned them all for three days.

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

If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison while the rest of you go and take grain back for your hungry families.

They said to one other, "Surely we're being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!"

Reuben said to them, "Didn't I say to you, 'Don't sin against the boy,' but you wouldn't listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!"

(Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, for he was speaking through an interpreter.)

Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man's money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out.

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.

"Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for your hungry households and go.

But Jacob replied, "My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair in sorrow to the grave."

If you send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy food for you.

I myself pledge security for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.

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."

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant who was over his household, "Bring the men to the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon."

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

Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome by affection for his brother and was at the point of tears. So he went to his room and wept there.

They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers, and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians are not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting to do so.)

He gave them portions of the food set before him, but the portion for Benjamin was five times greater than the portions for any of the others. They drank with Joseph until they all became drunk.

Then put my cup -- the silver cup -- in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the money for his grain." He did as Joseph instructed.

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?

Doesn't my master drink from this cup and use it for divination? You have done wrong!'"

They answered him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

He replied, "You have suggested your own punishment! The one who has it will become my slave, but the rest of you will go free."

But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of you may go back to your father in peace."

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.

But we replied, 'We cannot go down there. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, for we won't be permitted to see the man's face if our youngest brother is not with us.'

Indeed, your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.'

"So now, please let your servant remain as my lord's slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers.

For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn't bear to see my father's pain."

He wept loudly; the Egyptians heard it and Pharaoh's household heard about it.