Study Desk

I have as much authority in this house as he has, and he has not kept back anything from me except you. How then could I do such an immoral thing and sin against God?"

They answered, "Each of us had a dream, and there is no one here to explain what the dreams mean." "It is God who gives the ability to interpret dreams," Joseph said. "Tell me your dreams."

Joseph answered, "I cannot, Your Majesty, but God will give a favorable interpretation."

Joseph said to the king, "The two dreams mean the same thing; God has told you what he is going to do.

It is just as I told you—God has shown you what he is going to do.

The repetition of your dream means that the matter is fixed by God and that he will make it happen in the near future.

The king said to Joseph, "God has shown you all this, so it is obvious that you have greater wisdom and insight than anyone else.

He said, "God has made me forget all my sufferings and all my father's family"; so he named his first son Manasseh.

He also said, "God has given me children in the land of my trouble"; so he named his second son Ephraim.

On the third day Joseph said to them, "I am a God-fearing man, and I will spare your lives on one condition.

"My money has been returned to me," he called to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack!" Their hearts sank, and in fear they asked one another, "What has God done to us?"

May Almighty God cause the man to have pity on you, so that he will give Benjamin and your other brother back to you. As for me, if I must lose my children, I must lose them."

The servant said, "Don't worry. Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the money in your sacks for you. I received your payment." Then he brought Simeon to them.

When Joseph saw his brother Benjamin, he said, "So this is your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son."

"What can we say to you, sir?" Judah answered. "How can we argue? How can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered our guilt. All of us are now your slaves and not just the one with whom the cup was found."

Now do not be upset or blame yourselves because you sold me here. It was really God who sent me ahead of you to save people's lives.

God sent me ahead of you to rescue you in this amazing way and to make sure that you and your descendants survive.

So it was not really you who sent me here, but God. He has made me the king's highest official. I am in charge of his whole country; I am the ruler of all Egypt.

"Now hurry back to my father and tell him that this is what his son Joseph says: ‘God has made me ruler of all Egypt; come to me without delay.

Jacob packed up all he had and went to Beersheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.