“Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. His brothers said to him, are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So, they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. He dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers. But when he told it to Father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and his brothers were jealous, but the father kept the saying in mind.
His brothers went to pasture their fathers flock near Shechem. Israel said go now see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock and bring me word. They (his brothers) saw him from afar, and before he came near, they conspired to kill him. But Reuben rescued him out of their hands saying, let us not take his life, throw him into the pit here in the wilderness. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. They sat down to eat, looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites with their camels. Judah said to his brothers let us sell him, let not our hand be upon him our own flesh . They drew Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver.
They (Ishmaelites) took him to Egypt and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites. The Lord was with Joseph , and he became a successful man. His master saw that the Lord was with him and put him in charge of all that he had. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. His master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, lie with me! But he refused. But one day, when he went into the house to do his work, she caught him by his garment. But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, his anger was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love.
Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.” Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Joseph called the name of the first, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” The name of the second he called, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” The seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said.
When Jacob (Israel) learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him, Joseph recognized them, but he treated them like strangers, Joseph remembered the dreams (raise a question about this subject). Then they said to one another, in truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us. Reuben answered them, did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But Joseph said to them, Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”
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