Study Desk

saying, "Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel." So God renamed him Israel.

Then God said, "I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.' Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants!

Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob.

Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil.

And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means "house of God"), because God had spoken to him there.

No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God."

"It is beyond my power to do this," Joseph replied. "But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease."

Joseph responded, "Both of Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.

"This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.

As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.

So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?"

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are.

Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, "God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father's family."

Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, "God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief."

On the third day Joseph said to them, "I am a God-fearing man. If you do as I say, you will live.

"Look!" he exclaimed to his brothers. "My money has been returned; it's here in my sack!" Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, "What has God done to us?"

May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, so that he will release Simeon and let Benjamin return. But if I must lose my children, so be it."

"Relax. Don't be afraid," the household manager told them. "Your God, the God of your father, must have put this treasure into your sacks. I know I received your payment." Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them.

Then Joseph looked at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" Joseph asked. "May God be gracious to you, my son."

Judah answered, "Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack."