Study Desk

Jacob said, "Promise me." So Joseph gave him his promise. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

After this Joseph was told, "See, your father is sick." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." So Israel said, "Bring them to me, so I may pray that good will come to them."

Now Israel's eyes had become weak from being old, and he could not see. So Joseph brought them near to him. And Israel kissed them and put his arms around them.

Then he prayed that day that good would come to them. He said, "By you Israel will pray that good will come, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!'" So he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.

Then Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together so that I may tell you what will happen to you in the days to come.

He saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasing. So he made his shoulder ready to carry loads. He let himself be a servant.

Dan will be a snake in the way, a snake in the road, that bites the horse's heels so that the man falls off.

Joseph told his servants the doctors to make his father ready to be buried. So the doctors made Israel ready.

‘My father had me make a promise to him. He said, "See, I am about to die. Bury me in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan." So let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.'"

So Joseph went to bury his father. With him went all the servants of Pharaoh, the leaders of his house and all the important men of the land of Egypt,

When those who lived in the land, the Canaanites, saw the people crying in sorrow at the grain-floor of Atad, they said, "This is a great sorrow for the Egyptians." So the place was given the name Abel-mizraim. It is on the other side of the Jordan.

So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Before he died, our father told us,

So do not be afraid. I will take care of you and your little ones." He gave them comfort and words of kindness.

So Joseph died after living 110 years. They made his body ready, and he was put in a grave in Egypt.

But the sons of Israel had many children, and the people became many in number. There were so many that the land was filled with them.

So they put men in power over them to make them work hard. And they built the store-cities Pithom and Raamses for Pharaoh the king.

But the more the Egyptians made them suffer, the more they became until they spread throughout the land. So the Egyptians were afraid of the people of Israel.

So the king of Egypt called the nurses and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the boys live?"

So God was good to the nurses. And the people became many and strong.