Study Desk

Joseph named the first son Manasseh. He was given this name because Joseph said, "God made me forget all my hard work and everything back home in my father's house."

Joseph named the second son Ephraim. Joseph gave him this name because he said, "I had great troubles, but God has made me successful in everything."

Then the seven years of hunger began, just as Joseph had said. No food grew anywhere in any of the countries in that area. But in Egypt people had plenty to eat because Joseph had stored the grain.

The brothers were afraid when they were taken to Joseph's house and said, "We have been brought here because of the money that was put back in our sacks the last time. They will use this as proof against us and steal our donkeys and make us slaves."

Joseph's brothers were seated at a table facing him. The brothers were looking at each other because, to their surprise, they had been seated in order, from the oldest to the youngest.

And we answered you, ‘We have a father—he is an old man. And we have a younger brother. Our father loves him because he was born while our father was old. This youngest son's brother is dead, so he is the only son who is left from that mother. Our father loves him very much.'

He said to his brothers, "I am your brother Joseph. Is my father doing well?" But the brothers did not answer him because they were confused and afraid.

The famine got worse; there was no food anywhere in the land. Egypt and Canaan became very poor because of this bad time.

So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. All the people in Egypt sold Joseph their fields. They did this because they were very hungry.

The only land Joseph didn't buy was the land that the priests owned. The priests didn't need to sell their land because Pharaoh paid them for their work. So they used this money to buy food to eat.

Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on Ephraim's head. This didn't make Joseph happy. Joseph took his father's hand because he wanted to move it from Ephraim's head and put it on Manasseh's head.

The baby grew, and after some time, the woman gave the baby to the king's daughter. The king's daughter accepted the baby as her own son. She named him Moses because she had pulled him from the water.

Zipporah became pregnant and had a son. Moses named him Gershom because Moses was a stranger in a land that was not his own.

I am the God of your ancestors. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

God said, "You can do it because I will be with you. This will be the proof that I am sending you: After you lead the people out of Egypt, you will come and worship me on this mountain."

Zipporah said this because she had to circumcise her son. So God let Moses live.

The Hebrew foremen knew they were in trouble, because the Pharaoh had told them, "You must still make as many bricks as you made before."

The magicians could not stop Moses from doing this, because even the magicians had the sores. This happened everywhere in Egypt.

Moses answered, "All of our people, young and old, will go. And we will take our sons and daughters, and our sheep and cattle with us. We will all go because the Lord 's festival is for all of us."

"When you eat the meal, you must be fully dressed and ready to travel. You must have your sandals on your feet and your walking stick in your hand. You must eat in a hurry, because this is the Lord 's Passover.