Study Desk

Then they said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us."

But the men were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph's house. "We have been brought here because of the money that was returned in our bags the first time," they said. "They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys."

Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.

They served Joseph's brothers separately from him and the Egyptians who ate with him, because Egyptians would not eat with Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.

Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.

And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.

And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.'

Then they said to Pharaoh, "We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flock of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen."

Yet there was no food throughout that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine.

So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh's,

Now Israel's eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

Uncontrolled as the waters, you will no longer excel, because you went up to your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.

But the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty hand he will let them go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land."

So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.

But Moses replied, "It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us?

The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.

but the wheat and the spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)

Because the LORD kept a vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, this same night is to be a vigil to the LORD, to be observed by all the Israelites for the generations to come.