Study Desk

his father Jacob said to him, "I want you to go to your brothers. They are with the sheep near Shechem." "Yes, sir," Joseph answered.

His father said, "Go and find out how your brothers and the sheep are doing. Then come back and let me know." So he sent him from Hebron Valley. Joseph was near Shechem

"They're not here anymore," the man replied. "I overheard them say they were going to Dothan." Joseph left and found his brothers in Dothan.

"Don't murder him or even harm him. Just throw him into a dry well out here in the desert." Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.

When Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his fancy coat

So Judah said, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body?

When Reuben returned to the well and did not find Joseph there, he tore his clothes in sorrow.

Then he went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone! What am I going to do?"

Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth.

About that time Judah left his brothers in the hill country and went to live near his friend Hirah in the town of Adullam.

Later, Judah chose Tamar as a wife for Er, his oldest son.

But Er was very evil, and the Lord took his life.

Onan knew the child would not be his, and when he had sex with Tamar, he made sure that she would not get pregnant.

The Lord wasn't pleased with Onan and took his life too.

Judah did not want the same thing to happen to his son Shelah, and he told Tamar, "Go home to your father and live there as a widow until my son Shelah is grown." So Tamar went to live with her father.

Some years later Judah's wife died, and he mourned for her. He then went with his friend Hirah to the town of Timnah, where his sheep were being sheared.

Tamar found out that her father-in-law Judah was going to Timnah to shear his sheep.

Judah had his friend Hirah take a goat to the woman, so he could get back the ring and walking stick, but she wasn't there.

Right away his hand went back in, and the other child was born first. The woman then said, "What an opening you've made for yourself!" So they named the baby Perez.

So Joseph lived in the home of Potiphar, his Egyptian owner. Soon Potiphar realized that the Lord was helping Joseph to be successful in whatever he did.