Study Desk

Now therefore let Par`oh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Mitzrayim.

Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of Par`oh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.

The food will be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Mitzrayim; that the land not perish through the famine."

Yosef laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.

Yosef called the name of the firstborn Menashsheh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house."

The name of the second, he called Efrayim: "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

When all the land of Mitzrayim was famished, the people cried to Par`oh for bread, and Par`oh said to all the Mitzrim, "Go to Yosef. What he says to you, do."

He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Mitzrayim. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die."

But Ya`akov didn't send Binyamin, Yosef's brother, with his brothers; for he said, "Lest perhaps harm befall him."

The sons of Yisra'el came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Kana`an.

Yosef said to them the third day, "Do this, and live, for I fear God.

If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison-house; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.

They didn't know that Yosef understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

Then Yosef commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provisions for the way. Thus was it done to them.

"The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'Hereby will I know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way.

He said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm befall him by the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to She'ol."

but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'"

I will be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don't bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever,

for unless we had lingered, surely we would have returned a second time by now."