Study Desk

So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn't worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man,

So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king's prisoners were held, and there he remained.

"Why do you look so worried today?" he asked them.

So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream first. "In my dream," he said, "I saw a grapevine in front of me.

I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."

And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.

He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup.

The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.

So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. "In my dream," he said, "I was standing on the bank of the Nile River,

But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land.

This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased.

Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh's storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities.

So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?"

Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, "Kneel down!" So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt.

Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt.

So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the storehouses and distributed grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt.

So Joseph's ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

So Jacob's sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well.

So Joseph put them all in prison for three days.

So the brothers loaded their donkeys with the grain and headed for home.