9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. 

10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.” 

11 The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. 

12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. 

13 As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.” 

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Do not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 

17 And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 

18 Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” 

19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

20 God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. 

21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

37 Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. 2 This is the story of the family of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. 

4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.

5 Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. 

7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words..

Joseph Is Sold by His Brothers

 12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem

18 They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 

20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” 

21 But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 

22 Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. 

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves[b] that he wore; 

24 and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 

27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers agreed. 

28 When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.  

29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. 

30 He returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone; and I, where can I turn?” 

31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. 

32 They had the long robe with sleeves[c] taken to their father, and they said, “This we have found; see now whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 

33 He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 

34 Then Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 

35 All his sons and all his daughters sought to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father bewailed him. 

36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

39 Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 

2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 

3 His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. 

4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him; he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 

5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 

6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge; and, with him there, he had no concern for anything but the food that he ate.Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. 

7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 

8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand. 

9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” 

10 And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or to be with her. 

11 One day, however, when he went into the house to do his work, and while no one else was in the house, 

12 she caught hold of his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 

13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 she called out to the members of her household and said to them, “See, my husband has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice; 

15 and when he heard me raise my voice and cry out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.” 

16 Then she kept his garment by her until his master came home, 

17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to insult me; 

18 but as soon as I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.”

19 When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, “This is the way your servant treated me,” he became enraged. 

20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison.

41 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and there came up out of the Nile seven sleek and fat cows, and they grazed in the reed grass. 

3 Then seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 

4 The ugly and thin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 

5 Then he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 

6 Then seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them. 

7 The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream. 

8 In the morning his spirit was troubled; so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my faults today. 10 Once Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard. 

11 We dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own meaning. 

12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each according to his dream. 

14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was hurriedly brought out of the dungeon. When he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 

26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 

27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, as are the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind. They are seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 

29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 After them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; the famine will consume the land. 

34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land, and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plenteous years. 

35 Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to befall the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”  

Joseph’s Rise to Power 

37 The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 

38 Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—one in whom is the spirit of God?” 

39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 

40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 

41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand; he arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck.

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another? 

2 I have heard,” he said, “that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 

3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 

4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him. 

5 Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to buy grain, for the famine had reached the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 

7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”   

9 Joseph also remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them. He said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”  

14 But Joseph said to them, “It is just as I have said to you; you are spies! 15 Here is how you shall be tested: as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 

16 Let one of you go and bring your brother, while the rest of you remain in prison, in order that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.” 

17 And he put them all together in prison for three days.   

25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This was done for them.  

43 Now the famine was severe in the land. 

2 And when they had eaten up the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.” 

3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 

4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food; 

5 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.’”

 27 He inquired about their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 

28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and did obeisance. 

29 Then he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 

30 With that, Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep. So he went into a private room and wept there. 

31 Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, “Serve the meal.”  

45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 

2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 

3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 

5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 

6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 

7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 

8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 

9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 

25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 

26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive! He is even ruler over all the land of Egypt.” He was stunned; he could not believe them. 

27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph that he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 

28 Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I must go and see him before I die.”  

46 When Israel set out on his journey with all that he had and came to 

Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 

2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 

3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. 

4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes.” 

8 Now these are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his offspring, who came to Egypt. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn  

17 The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The children of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel