Study Desk

The Israelites lived in Egypt in the region of Goshen, where they became rich and had many children.

I want to be buried where my fathers are; carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried." Joseph answered, "I will do as you say."

If you have any more sons, they will not be considered mine; the inheritance they get will come through Ephraim and Manasseh.

May the angel, who has rescued me from all harm, bless them! May my name and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac live on through these boys! May they have many children, many descendants!"

So he blessed them that day, saying, "The Israelites will use your names when they pronounce blessings. They will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" In this way Jacob put Ephraim before Manasseh.

"Simeon and Levi are brothers. They use their weapons to commit violence.

I will not join in their secret talks, Nor will I take part in their meetings, For they killed people in anger And they crippled bulls for sport.

That is where they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; that is where they buried Isaac and his wife Rebecca; and that is where I buried Leah.

When they came to the threshing place at Atad east of the Jordan, they mourned loudly for a long time, and Joseph performed mourning ceremonies for seven days.

they carried his body to Canaan and buried it in the cave at Machpelah east of Mamre in the field which Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground.

Then his brothers themselves came and bowed down before him. "Here we are before you as your slaves," they said.

So Joseph died in Egypt at the age of a hundred and ten. They embalmed his body and put it in a coffin.

He said to his people, "These Israelites are so numerous and strong that they are a threat to us.

In case of war they might join our enemies in order to fight against us, and might escape from the country. We must find some way to keep them from becoming even more numerous."

But the more the Egyptians oppressed the Israelites, the more they increased in number and the farther they spread through the land. The Egyptians came to fear the Israelites

and made their lives miserable by forcing them into cruel slavery. They made them work on their building projects and in their fields, and they had no pity on them.

But the midwives were God-fearing and so did not obey the king; instead, they let the boys live.

They answered, "The Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they give birth easily, and their babies are born before either of us gets there."

When Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his people, the Hebrews, and he saw how they were forced to do hard labor. He even saw an Egyptian kill a Hebrew, one of Moses' own people.

"An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds," they answered, "and he even drew water for us and watered our animals."