Study Desk

Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh and said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and my whole family.”

And the second son he named Ephraim and said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live.

He said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.”

Then the steward said, “May you be well. Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ iniquity. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.

God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

“Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay.

Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” he said.

God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.

Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.

And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons God has given me here.”

Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, but now God has even let me see your offspring.”

So he blessed them that day, putting Ephraim before Manasseh when he said, “The nation Israel will invoke blessings by you, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.