Study Desk

and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father's household. They left only their little ones and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen.

When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they mourned there with a great lamentation (expressions of mourning for the deceased) and [extreme demonstrations of] sorrow [according to Egyptian custom]; and Joseph observed a seven-day mourning for his father.

for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him.

Then his brothers went and fell down before him [in confession]; then they said, "Behold, we are your servants (slaves)."

But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? [Vengeance is His, not mine.]

Now Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father's household, and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.

Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up out of this land to the land which He promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob [to give you]."

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each came with his household:

Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation,

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph [nor the history of his accomplishments].

He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us [they greatly outnumber us].

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born [to the Hebrews] must be thrown into the Nile, but every daughter you shall keep alive."

Now a man of the house of Levi [the priestly tribe] went and took as his wife a daughter of Levi.

And his sister [Miriam] stood some distance away to find out what would happen to him.

Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a wet-nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"

One day, after Moses had grown [into adulthood], it happened that he went to his countrymen and looked [with compassion] at their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his countrymen.

Then he said to his daughters, "Where is he? Why have you left the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat."

Moses was willing to remain with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah [to be his wife].

So God heard their groaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).