Study Desk

So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy is gone! What am I going to do?"

His father recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!"

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

All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said. "I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son." So his father wept for him.

About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite.

Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother's wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die too, like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.

After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah.

When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,"

Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, "Come now, let me sleep with you." "What will you give me for sleeping with you?" she asked.

Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.

And as she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist. "This one came out first," she announced.

But when he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, she said, "You have broken out first!" So he was named Perez.

Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread around his wrist, and he was named Zerah.

And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.

When his master saw that the LORD was with him and made him prosper in all he did,

Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.