37:1 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, ¹  in the land of Canaan. ² 

37:2 This is the account of Jacob.

Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, ³  was taking care of ⁴  the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster ⁵  working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. ⁶  Joseph brought back a bad report about them ⁷  to their father.

37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons ⁸  because he was a son born to him late in life, ⁹  and he made a special ¹⁰  tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s ¹¹  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ¹²  they hated Joseph ¹³  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ¹⁴ 

37:5 Joseph ¹⁵  had a dream, ¹⁶  and when he told his brothers about it, ¹⁷  they hated him even more. ¹⁸  37:6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ¹⁹  37:7 There we were, ²⁰  binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down ²¹  to it!” 37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” ²²  They hated him even more ²³  because of his dream and because of what he said. ²⁴ 

37:9 Then he had another dream, ²⁵  and told it to his brothers. “Look,” ²⁶  he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 37:10 When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had? ²⁷  Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” ²⁸  37:11 His brothers were jealous ²⁹  of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. ³⁰ 

37:12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ³¹  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ³²  Joseph replied. ³³  37:14 So Jacob ³⁴  said to him, “Go now and check on ³⁵  the welfare ³⁶  of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob ³⁷  sent him from the valley of Hebron.

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ³⁸  a man found him wandering ³⁹  in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 37:16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tell ⁴⁰  me where they are grazing their flocks.” 37:17 The man said, “They left this area, ⁴¹  for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

37:18 Now Joseph’s brothers ⁴²  saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 37:19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams! ⁴³  37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild ⁴⁴  animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” ⁴⁵ 

37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ⁴⁶  from their hands, ⁴⁷  saying, ⁴⁸  “Let’s not take his life!” ⁴⁹  37:22 Reuben continued, ⁵⁰  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ⁵¹  (Reuben said this ⁵²  so he could rescue Joseph ⁵³  from them ⁵⁴  and take him back to his father.)

37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ⁵⁵  of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 37:24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; ⁵⁶  there was no water in it.)

37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up ⁵⁷  and saw ⁵⁸  a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. ⁵⁹  37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, ⁶⁰  for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ⁶¹  37:28 So when the Midianite ⁶²  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ⁶³  him ⁶⁴  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ⁶⁵  then took Joseph to Egypt.

37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ⁶⁶  He tore his clothes, 37:30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?” 37:31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a young goat, ⁶⁷  and dipped the tunic in the blood. 37:32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father ⁶⁸  and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

37:33 He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! ⁶⁹  Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ⁷⁰  and mourned for his son many days. 37:35 All his sons and daughters stood by ⁷¹  him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.” ⁷²  So Joseph’s ⁷³  father wept for him.

37:36 Now ⁷⁴  in Egypt the Midianites ⁷⁵  sold Joseph ⁷⁶  to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ⁷⁷ 

38:1 At that time Judah left ⁷⁸  his brothers and stayed ⁷⁹  with an Adullamite man ⁸⁰  named Hirah.

38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man ⁸¹  named Shua. ⁸²  Judah acquired her as a wife ⁸³  and had marital relations with her. ⁸⁴  38:3 She became pregnant ⁸⁵  and had a son. Judah named ⁸⁶  him Er. 38:4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 38:5 Then she had ⁸⁷  yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. ⁸⁸ 

38:6 Judah acquired ⁸⁹  a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. 38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.

38:8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Have sexual relations with ⁹⁰  your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise ⁹¹  up a descendant for your brother.” ⁹²  38:9 But Onan knew that the child ⁹³  would not be considered his. ⁹⁴  So whenever ⁹⁵  he had sexual relations with ⁹⁶  his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely ⁹⁷  so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord ⁹⁸  killed him too.

38:11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought, ⁹⁹  “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” ¹⁰⁰  So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

38:12 After some time ¹⁰¹  Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with ¹⁰²  his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13 Tamar was told, ¹⁰³  “Look, your father-in-law is going up ¹⁰⁴  to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 38:14 So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because ¹⁰⁵  she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) ¹⁰⁶ 

38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute ¹⁰⁷  because she had covered her face. 38:16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come on! I want to have sex with you.” ¹⁰⁸  (He did not realize ¹⁰⁹  it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” ¹¹⁰  38:17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” ¹¹¹  38:18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had sex with her. ¹¹²  She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, ¹¹³  removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah ¹¹⁴  the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, ¹¹⁵  but Hirah ¹¹⁶  could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, ¹¹⁷  “Where is the cult prostitute ¹¹⁸  who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 38:22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. Moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 38:23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things ¹¹⁹  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ¹²⁰  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

38:24 After three months Judah was told, ¹²¹  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ¹²²  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ¹²³  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word ¹²⁴  to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” ¹²⁵  Then she said, “Identify ¹²⁶  the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright ¹²⁷  than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her ¹²⁸  again.

38:27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 38:28 While she was giving birth, one child ¹²⁹  put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 38:29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. ¹³⁰  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ¹³¹  So he was named Perez. ¹³²  38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. ¹³³ 

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ¹³⁴  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ¹³⁵  purchased him from ¹³⁶  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful ¹³⁷  and lived ¹³⁸  in the household of his Egyptian master. 39:3 His master observed that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he was doing successful. ¹³⁹  39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ¹⁴⁰  Potiphar appointed Joseph ¹⁴¹  overseer of his household and put him in charge ¹⁴²  of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time ¹⁴³  Potiphar ¹⁴⁴  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ¹⁴⁵  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ¹⁴⁶  in his house and in his fields. ¹⁴⁷  39:6 So Potiphar ¹⁴⁸  left ¹⁴⁹  everything he had in Joseph’s care; ¹⁵⁰  he gave no thought ¹⁵¹  to anything except the food he ate. ¹⁵² 

Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. ¹⁵³  39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ¹⁵⁴  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ¹⁵⁵  39:8 But he refused, saying ¹⁵⁶  to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought ¹⁵⁷  to his household with me here, ¹⁵⁸  and everything that he owns he has put into my care. ¹⁵⁹  39:9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do ¹⁶⁰  such a great evil and sin against God?” 39:10 Even though she continued to speak ¹⁶¹  to Joseph day after day, he did not respond ¹⁶²  to her invitation to have sex with her. ¹⁶³ 

39:11 One day ¹⁶⁴  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ¹⁶⁵  were there in the house. 39:12 She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, “Have sex with me!” But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran ¹⁶⁶  outside. ¹⁶⁷  39:13 When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside, 39:14 she called for her household servants and said to them, “See, my husband brought ¹⁶⁸  in a Hebrew man ¹⁶⁹  to us to humiliate us. ¹⁷⁰  He tried to have sex with me, ¹⁷¹  but I screamed loudly. ¹⁷²  39:15 When he heard me raise ¹⁷³  my voice and scream, he left his outer garment beside me and ran outside.”

39:16 So she laid his outer garment beside her until his master came home. 39:17 This is what she said to him: ¹⁷⁴  “That Hebrew slave ¹⁷⁵  you brought to us tried to humiliate me, ¹⁷⁶  39:18 but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside.”

39:19 When his master heard his wife say, ¹⁷⁷  “This is the way ¹⁷⁸  your slave treated me,” ¹⁷⁹  he became furious. ¹⁸⁰  39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, ¹⁸¹  the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. ¹⁸² 

39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. ¹⁸³  He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. ¹⁸⁴  39:22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. ¹⁸⁵  39:23 The warden did not concern himself ¹⁸⁶  with anything that was in Joseph’s ¹⁸⁷  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer ¹⁸⁸  to the king of Egypt and the royal baker ¹⁸⁹  offended ¹⁹⁰  their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, ¹⁹¹  the cupbearer and the baker, 40:3 so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined. 40:4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be their attendant, and he served them. ¹⁹² 

They spent some time in custody. ¹⁹³  40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream ¹⁹⁴  the same night. ¹⁹⁵  Each man’s dream had its own meaning. ¹⁹⁶  40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were looking depressed. ¹⁹⁷  40:7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” ¹⁹⁸  40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, ¹⁹⁹  but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them ²⁰⁰  to me.”

40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ²⁰¹  “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me. 40:10 On the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 40:11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his ²⁰²  cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ²⁰³ 

40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent ²⁰⁴  three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you ²⁰⁵  and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before ²⁰⁶  when you were cupbearer. 40:14 But remember me ²⁰⁷  when it goes well for you, and show ²⁰⁸  me kindness. ²⁰⁹  Make mention ²¹⁰  of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, ²¹¹  40:15 for I really was kidnapped ²¹²  from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.”

40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, ²¹³  he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread ²¹⁴  on my head. 40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”

40:18 Joseph replied, “This is its meaning: The three baskets represent ²¹⁵  three days. 40:19 In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you ²¹⁶  and impale you on a pole. Then the birds will eat your flesh from you.”

40:20 On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He “lifted up” ²¹⁷  the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position ²¹⁸  so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, 40:22 but the chief baker he impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. ²¹⁹  40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. ²²⁰ 

41:1 At the end of two full years ²²¹  Pharaoh had a dream. ²²²  As he was standing by the Nile, 41:2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, ²²³  and they grazed in the reeds. 41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ²²⁴  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ²²⁵  41:4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

41:5 Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing ²²⁶  on one stalk, healthy ²²⁷  and good. 41:6 Then ²²⁸  seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. ²²⁹ 

41:8 In the morning he ²³⁰  was troubled, so he called for ²³¹  all the diviner-priests ²³²  of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, ²³³  but no one could interpret ²³⁴  them for him. ²³⁵  41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ²³⁶  41:10 Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards – me and the chief baker. 41:11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. ²³⁷  41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant ²³⁸  of the captain of the guards, ²³⁹  was with us there. We told him our dreams, ²⁴⁰  and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. ²⁴¹  41:13 It happened just as he had said ²⁴²  to us – Pharaoh ²⁴³  restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” ²⁴⁴ 

41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned ²⁴⁵  Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, ²⁴⁶  and there is no one who can interpret ²⁴⁷  it. But I have heard about you, that ²⁴⁸  you can interpret dreams.” ²⁴⁹  41:16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, ²⁵⁰  but God will speak concerning ²⁵¹  the welfare of Pharaoh.” ²⁵² 

41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing ²⁵³  by the edge of the Nile. 41:18 Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. ²⁵⁴  41:19 Then ²⁵⁵  seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows ²⁵⁶  as these in all the land of Egypt! 41:20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven ²⁵⁷  fat cows. 41:21 When they had eaten them, ²⁵⁸  no one would have known ²⁵⁹  that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. 41:22 I also saw in my dream ²⁶⁰  seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 41:23 Then ²⁶¹  seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this ²⁶²  to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” ²⁶³ 

41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. ²⁶⁴  God has revealed ²⁶⁵  to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁶⁶  41:26 The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. ²⁶⁷  41:27 The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent ²⁶⁸  seven years of famine. 41:28 This is just what I told ²⁶⁹  Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 41:29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 41:30 But seven years of famine will occur ²⁷⁰  after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate ²⁷¹  the land. 41:31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered ²⁷²  because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. ²⁷³  41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh ²⁷⁴  because the matter has been decreed ²⁷⁵  by God, and God will make it happen soon. ²⁷⁶ 

41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look ²⁷⁷  for a wise and discerning man ²⁷⁸  and give him authority ²⁷⁹  over all the land of Egypt. 41:34 Pharaoh should do ²⁸⁰  this – he should appoint ²⁸¹  officials ²⁸²  throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt ²⁸³  during the seven years of abundance. 41:35 They should gather all the excess food ²⁸⁴  during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority ²⁸⁵  they should store up grain so the cities will have food, ²⁸⁶  and they should preserve it. ²⁸⁷  41:36 This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” ²⁸⁸ 

41:37 This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. ²⁸⁹  41:38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, ²⁹⁰  one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” ²⁹¹  41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning ²⁹²  as you are! 41:40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. ²⁹³  Only I, the king, will be greater than you. ²⁹⁴ 

41:41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place ²⁹⁵  you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” ²⁹⁶  41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen ²⁹⁷  clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. 41:43 Pharaoh ²⁹⁸  had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, ²⁹⁹  and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” ³⁰⁰  So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission ³⁰¹  no one ³⁰²  will move his hand or his foot ³⁰³  in all the land of Egypt.” 41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. ³⁰⁴  He also gave him Asenath ³⁰⁵  daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ³⁰⁶  to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of ³⁰⁷  all the land of Egypt.

41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old ³⁰⁸  when he began serving ³⁰⁹  Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by ³¹⁰  Pharaoh and was in charge of ³¹¹  all the land of Egypt. 41:47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. ³¹²  41:48 Joseph ³¹³  collected all the excess food ³¹⁴  in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. ³¹⁵  In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. 41:49 Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, ³¹⁶  until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.

41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. ³¹⁷  Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. ³¹⁸  41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, ³¹⁹  saying, ³²⁰  “Certainly ³²¹  God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 41:52 He named the second child Ephraim, ³²²  saying, ³²³  “Certainly ³²⁴  God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

41:53 The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. 41:54 Then the seven years of famine began, ³²⁵  just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. 41:55 When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, ³²⁶  “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

41:56 While the famine was over all the earth, ³²⁷  Joseph opened the storehouses ³²⁸  and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 41:57 People from every country ³²⁹  came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.