Study Desk

So when morning came his spirit was troubled. He called for all the wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams. But there was no one who could tell Pharaoh the meaning of them.

A young Hebrew was there with us. He worked for the head of the soldiers. We told our dreams to him. And he told us the meaning of them. He told each of us what our different dreams meant.

Pharaoh then called for Joseph. And they brought him out of the prison in a hurry. He cut off the hair on his face and put on clean clothes. Then he came to Pharaoh.

But after they had eaten them, it could not be seen that they had eaten them. For they were just as bad looking as before. Then I awoke.

"So now let Pharaoh look for a man who is understanding and wise. Let the land of Egypt be put into his care.

This food will be kept for the people to eat during the seven years of no food that will come upon the land of Egypt. This way the land will not be destroyed during the time without food."

Then Pharaoh gave Joseph the name of Zaphenath-paneah. He gave him for a wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera who was the religious leader of On. So Joseph went out through the land of Egypt.

Joseph gave the first-born the name Manasseh. "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all those of my father's house."

He gave the second son the name of Ephraim. "For," he said, "God has given me children in the land of my suffering."

So when all the people of Egypt were hungry, they cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you."

When the hunger was spreading over all the earth, Joseph opened the store-houses. And he sold food to the Egyptians for the time without food had become hard in the land of Egypt.

And he said, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us, so we may live and not die."

But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers. For he said, "I am afraid that something will happen to him."

So the sons of Israel joined those who were coming to buy grain for there was no food in Canaan.

Send one of you to bring your brother, and the rest of you will be kept in prison. Your words will be put to a test to see if you are telling the truth. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies for sure."

He put them all together in prison for three days.

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

If you are men who do not lie, let one of your brothers stay here in prison for all of you. But you others go and carry grain for your hungry families.

They said to one another, "For sure we are guilty for what we did to our brother. We saw the suffering of his soul while he begged us. But we would not listen. So this trouble has come to us."

Reuben answered them, "Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy?' But you would not listen. Now we must pay for his blood."