Thematic Bible: Summary of his life


Thematic Bible



In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; and with them the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; and with them the priests Elisham and Joram. And they taught in Judah, and the scroll of the law of Yahweh [was] with them when they went around in all the cities of Judah, and they taught the people.


And he said to the judges, "Consider what you are doing, for you are not judging for a man but for Yahweh. Now [he is] with you in speaking justice. So now, let the fear of Yahweh be upon you all. {Be careful what you do}, for there is neither wickedness nor {showing partiality} and taking bribes with Yahweh our God." Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites and the priests and heads of the {families} of Israel as judges and to decide legal disputes for Yahweh. And they sat [in] Jerusalem. read more.
And he commanded them, saying, "Thus you must do in the fear of Yahweh in faithfulness and with a whole heart.


Asa did that which [was] good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God.


And Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh, and he said, "If indeed you will give the {Ammonites} into my hand, whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from the {Ammonites} will be Yahweh's, and I will offer it [as] a burnt offering."


After a time the {Ammonites} made war with Israel. When the {Ammonites} made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. And they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander, so that we may make war against the {Ammonites}." read more.
Jephthah said to the elders, "Did you not shun me and drive me out from the house of my father? Why do you come to me now when you have trouble?" And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "That being so, we have now returned to you, that you may go with us {to fight} against the {Ammonites} and become for us as head of all the inhabitants of Gilead." So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back {to fight} against the {Ammonites}, and Yahweh gives them {over to me}, will I be your head?" And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "Yahweh will be a {witness} between us; we will act according to your word."


Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior; he was the son of a prostitute, and {Gilead was his father}. Gilead's wife also bore for him sons; and the sons of [his] wife grew up and drove Jephthah away, and they said to him, "You will not inherit the house of our father because you [are] the son of another woman."


And he defeated them [with] a very great blow, from Aroer as far as Minnith, twenty towns, up to Abel Keramim. And the {Ammonites} were subdued before the {Israelites}.


And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh. He passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed through [to] the {Ammonites}.


At the end of the two months she returned to her father, and he did to her [according to] his vow; and {she did not sleep with a man}. And it became an annual custom in Israel


Now [after] they had gone away, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, "Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him."

Now [after] Herod had died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,

And they were all speaking well of him, and were astonished at the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth. And they were saying, "Is this man not the son of Joseph?"

And Jesus, [when he] began [his ministry], was himself about thirty years [old], being the son (as it was believed) of Joseph the [son] of Eli,

and Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.


And Joseph's master took him and put him into prison, the place that the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in prison. And Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed loyal love to him, and gave him favor in the eyes of the chief of the prison. And the chief of the prison put all the prisoners that [were] in the prison into the hand of Joseph. And everything that was done there, he [was] the one who did [it]. read more.
The chief of the prison {did not worry about} anything in his hand, since Yahweh [was] with him. And whatever he did Yahweh made [it] successful.

Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh, commander of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. And Yahweh was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. And his master observed that Yahweh [was] with him, and everything that [was] in his hand to do Yahweh made successful. read more.
And Joseph found favor in his eyes and he served him. Then he appointed him over his house and all that he owned he put into his hand. And it happened [that] from the time he appointed him over his house and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the house of the Egyptian on account of Joseph. And the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. And he left all that he had in the hand of Joseph, and {he did not worry about anything} except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was {well built and handsome}.


Then Joseph {hurried away}, {being overcome with emotion} toward his brother, and sought for [a place] to cry. Then he went into a room and wept there.

Then he fell upon the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.


Then Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, "{It is not in my power}; God will answer [concerning] the well-being of Pharaoh."

So now, you yourselves did not send me here, but God put me here as father to Pharaoh and as master of all his household, and a ruler over all the land of Egypt.


And to his father he sent {as follows}: ten donkeys carrying the best of Egypt, and ten donkeys carrying grain and food and provisions for his father for the journey.

Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.


Then Pharaoh sent and called [for] Joseph, and they brought him quickly from the prison. And he shaved and changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I dreamed a dream, but there is none to interpret it. Now, I have heard concerning you [that when] you hear a dream [you can] interpret it." Then Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, "{It is not in my power}; God will answer [concerning] the well-being of Pharaoh." read more.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "[Now] in my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile, and behold, seven cows, {well built and fat}, were coming up from the Nile, and they grazed among the reeds. And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, very {ugly and gaunt}--never have I seen [any] as them in all the land of Egypt for ugliness. And the thin and ugly cows ate the former seven healthy cows. But [when] they went into their bellies it could not be known that they went into their bellies, for their appearance [was] as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. Then I saw in my dream and behold, seven ears of grain were coming out of one stalk, full and good. And behold, seven withered ears of grain, thin [and] scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. And the thin ears of grain swallowed up the seven good ears of grain. And I told the magicians, but there was none to explain [it] to me." Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh [are] one. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows, they are seven years, and the seven good ears of grain, they [are] seven years. The dreams [are] one. And the seven thin and ugly cows coming up after them, they [are] seven years, and the seven empty ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, they are [also] seven years of famine. This [is] the word that I have spoken to Pharaoh; God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. Then seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will consume the land. Abundance in the land will not be known because of the famine {that follows}, for it will be very heavy. Now concerning the repetition of the dream twice to Pharaoh, [it is] because the matter [is] established by God, and God will do [it] quickly. Now then, let Pharaoh select a man [who is] discerning and wise, and let him set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do [this], and let him appoint supervisors over the land, and let him take one-fifth from the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. Then let them gather all the food of these coming good years and let them pile up grain under the hand of Pharaoh [for] food in the cities, and let them keep [it]. Then the food shall be as a deposit for the land for the seven years of the famine that will be in the land of Egypt, that the land will not perish on account of the famine." And the plan was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this in whom is the spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all of this known to you there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and to your word all my people shall submit. Only [with respect to] the throne will I be greater than you." Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and put it on the finger of Joseph. And he clothed him with garments of fine linen, and he put a chain of gold around his neck. And he had him ride in his second chariot. And they cried out before him, "Kneel!" And Pharaoh set him over all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I [am] Pharaoh, but without your consent no one will lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt." And Pharaoh called the name of Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as a wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. Now Joseph {was thirty years old} when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and traveled through the whole land of Egypt.


So they sent [word] to Joseph saying, "Your father commanded [us] before his death, saying, "Thus you must say to Joseph, 'O, please now forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you.' So now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers went also and fell before him and said, "Behold, we [are] your servants." read more.
Then Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for [am] I in the place of God? As for you, you planned evil against me, [but] God planned it for good, in order to do this--to keep many people alive--as [it is] today. So then, do not be afraid. I myself will provide for you and your little ones. And he consoled them and {spoke kindly} to them.


Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and put it on the finger of Joseph. And he clothed him with garments of fine linen, and he put a chain of gold around his neck. And he had him ride in his second chariot. And they cried out before him, "Kneel!" And Pharaoh set him over all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I [am] Pharaoh, but without your consent no one will lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt."


And it happened [that] after these things his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master {does not worry about} what [is] in the house, and everything he owns he has put in my hand. He has no greater [authority] in this house than me, and he has not withheld anything from me except you, since you [are] his wife. Now how could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" read more.
And it happened [that] as she spoke to Joseph {day after day}, he did not heed her to lie beside her or to be with her. {But one particular day} he came into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house were there in the house, she seized him by his garment [and] said, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and he went outside. And it happened [that] when she saw that he left his garment in her hand and fled outside,


And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] to his brothers. And {they hated him even more}. And he said to them, "Listen now to this dream that I dreamed. Now behold, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field and, behold, my sheaf stood up and it remained standing. Then behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf." read more.
Then his brothers said to him, "Will you really rule over us?" And {they hated him even more} on account of his dream and because of his words. Then he dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers. And he said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream again, and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."