Study Desk

Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife's story about how Joseph had treated her.

But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.

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

Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer.

Pharaoh's birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials.

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

But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream.

In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.

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.

Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh.

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

Joseph's suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials.

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

Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck.

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.

During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On.

Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, "God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father's family."

Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, "God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief."

When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you standing around looking at one another?

Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground.