37:1 At this also my heart pounds

and leaps from its place.

37:2 Listen carefully ¹  to the thunder of his voice,

to the rumbling ²  that proceeds from his mouth.

37:3 Under the whole heaven he lets it go,

even his lightning to the far corners ³  of the earth.

37:4 After that a voice roars;

he thunders with an exalted voice,

and he does not hold back his lightning bolts ⁴ 

when his voice is heard.

37:5 God thunders with his voice in marvelous ways; ⁵ 

he does great things beyond our understanding. ⁶ 

37:6 For to the snow he says, ‘Fall ⁷  to earth,’

and to the torrential rains, ⁸  ‘Pour down.’ ⁹ 

37:7 He causes everyone to stop working, ¹⁰ 

so that all people ¹¹  may know ¹²  his work.

37:8 The wild animals go to their lairs,

and in their dens they remain.

37:9 A tempest blows out from its chamber,

icy cold from the driving winds. ¹³ 

37:10 The breath of God produces ice,

and the breadth of the waters freeze solid.

37:11 He loads the clouds with moisture; ¹⁴ 

he scatters his lightning through the clouds.

37:12 The clouds ¹⁵  go round in circles,

wheeling about according to his plans,

to carry out ¹⁶  all that he commands them

over the face of the whole inhabited world.

37:13 Whether it is for punishment ¹⁷  for his land,

or whether it is for mercy,

he causes it to find its mark. ¹⁸ 

37:14 “Pay attention to this, Job!

Stand still and consider the wonders God works.

37:15 Do you know how God commands them, ¹⁹ 

how he makes lightning flash in his storm cloud? ²⁰ 

37:16 Do you know about the balancing ²¹  of the clouds,

that wondrous activity of him who is perfect in knowledge?

37:17 You, whose garments are hot

when the earth is still because of the south wind,

37:18 will you, with him, spread out ²²  the clouds,

solid as a mirror of molten metal?

37:19 Tell us what we should ²³  say to him.

We cannot prepare a case ²⁴ 

because of the darkness.

37:20 Should he be informed that I want ²⁵  to speak?

If a man speaks, surely he would be swallowed up!

37:21 But now, the sun ²⁶  cannot be looked at ²⁷  –

it is bright in the skies –

after a wind passed and swept the clouds away. ²⁸ 

37:22 From the north he comes in golden splendor; ²⁹ 

around God is awesome majesty.

37:23 As for the Almighty, ³⁰  we cannot attain to him!

He is great in power,

but justice ³¹  and abundant righteousness he does not oppress.

37:24 Therefore people fear him,

for he does not regard all the wise in heart.” ³² 

38:1 At that time Judah left ¹  his brothers and stayed ²  with an Adullamite man ³  named Hirah.

38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man ⁴  named Shua. ⁵  Judah acquired her as a wife ⁶  and had marital relations with her. ⁷  38:3 She became pregnant ⁸  and had a son. Judah named ⁹  him Er. 38:4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 38:5 Then she had ¹⁰  yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. ¹¹ 

38:6 Judah acquired ¹²  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 ¹³  your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise ¹⁴  up a descendant for your brother.” ¹⁵  38:9 But Onan knew that the child ¹⁶  would not be considered his. ¹⁷  So whenever ¹⁸  he had sexual relations with ¹⁹  his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely ²⁰  so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord ²¹  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, ²²  “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” ²³  So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

38:12 After some time ²⁴  Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with ²⁵  his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13 Tamar was told, ²⁶  “Look, your father-in-law is going up ²⁷  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 ²⁸  she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) ²⁹ 

38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute ³⁰  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.” ³¹  (He did not realize ³²  it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” ³³  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?” ³⁴  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. ³⁵  She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, ³⁶  removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah ³⁷  the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, ³⁸  but Hirah ³⁹  could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, ⁴⁰  “Where is the cult prostitute ⁴¹  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 ⁴²  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ⁴³  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

38:24 After three months Judah was told, ⁴⁴  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ⁴⁵  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ⁴⁶  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word ⁴⁷  to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” ⁴⁸  Then she said, “Identify ⁴⁹  the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright ⁵⁰  than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her ⁵¹  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 ⁵²  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. ⁵³  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ⁵⁴  So he was named Perez. ⁵⁵  38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. ⁵⁶ 

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ⁵⁷  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ⁵⁸  purchased him from ⁵⁹  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful ⁶⁰  and lived ⁶¹  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. ⁶²  39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ⁶³  Potiphar appointed Joseph ⁶⁴  overseer of his household and put him in charge ⁶⁵  of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time ⁶⁶  Potiphar ⁶⁷  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ⁶⁸  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ⁶⁹  in his house and in his fields. ⁷⁰  39:6 So Potiphar ⁷¹  left ⁷²  everything he had in Joseph’s care; ⁷³  he gave no thought ⁷⁴  to anything except the food he ate. ⁷⁵ 

Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. ⁷⁶  39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ⁷⁷  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ⁷⁸  39:8 But he refused, saying ⁷⁹  to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought ⁸⁰  to his household with me here, ⁸¹  and everything that he owns he has put into my care. ⁸²  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 ⁸³  such a great evil and sin against God?” 39:10 Even though she continued to speak ⁸⁴  to Joseph day after day, he did not respond ⁸⁵  to her invitation to have sex with her. ⁸⁶ 

39:11 One day ⁸⁷  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ⁸⁸  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 ⁸⁹  outside. ⁹⁰  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 ⁹¹  in a Hebrew man ⁹²  to us to humiliate us. ⁹³  He tried to have sex with me, ⁹⁴  but I screamed loudly. ⁹⁵  39:15 When he heard me raise ⁹⁶  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: ⁹⁷  “That Hebrew slave ⁹⁸  you brought to us tried to humiliate me, ⁹⁹  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, ¹⁰⁰  “This is the way ¹⁰¹  your slave treated me,” ¹⁰²  he became furious. ¹⁰³  39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, ¹⁰⁴  the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. ¹⁰⁵ 

39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. ¹⁰⁶  He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. ¹⁰⁷  39:22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. ¹⁰⁸  39:23 The warden did not concern himself ¹⁰⁹  with anything that was in Joseph’s ¹¹⁰  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 ¹¹¹  to the king of Egypt and the royal baker ¹¹²  offended ¹¹³  their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, ¹¹⁴  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. ¹¹⁵ 

They spent some time in custody. ¹¹⁶  40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream ¹¹⁷  the same night. ¹¹⁸  Each man’s dream had its own meaning. ¹¹⁹  40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were looking depressed. ¹²⁰  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?” ¹²¹  40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, ¹²²  but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them ¹²³  to me.”

40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ¹²⁴  “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 ¹²⁵  cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ¹²⁶ 

40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent ¹²⁷  three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you ¹²⁸  and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before ¹²⁹  when you were cupbearer. 40:14 But remember me ¹³⁰  when it goes well for you, and show ¹³¹  me kindness. ¹³²  Make mention ¹³³  of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, ¹³⁴  40:15 for I really was kidnapped ¹³⁵  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, ¹³⁶  he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread ¹³⁷  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 ¹³⁸  three days. 40:19 In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you ¹³⁹  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” ¹⁴⁰  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 ¹⁴¹  so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, 40:22 but the chief baker he impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. ¹⁴²  40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. ¹⁴³ 

41:1 At the end of two full years ¹⁴⁴  Pharaoh had a dream. ¹⁴⁵  As he was standing by the Nile, 41:2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, ¹⁴⁶  and they grazed in the reeds. 41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ¹⁴⁷  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ¹⁴⁸  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 ¹⁴⁹  on one stalk, healthy ¹⁵⁰  and good. 41:6 Then ¹⁵¹  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. ¹⁵² 

41:8 In the morning he ¹⁵³  was troubled, so he called for ¹⁵⁴  all the diviner-priests ¹⁵⁵  of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, ¹⁵⁶  but no one could interpret ¹⁵⁷  them for him. ¹⁵⁸  41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ¹⁵⁹  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. ¹⁶⁰  41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant ¹⁶¹  of the captain of the guards, ¹⁶²  was with us there. We told him our dreams, ¹⁶³  and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. ¹⁶⁴  41:13 It happened just as he had said ¹⁶⁵  to us – Pharaoh ¹⁶⁶  restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” ¹⁶⁷ 

41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned ¹⁶⁸  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, ¹⁶⁹  and there is no one who can interpret ¹⁷⁰  it. But I have heard about you, that ¹⁷¹  you can interpret dreams.” ¹⁷²  41:16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, ¹⁷³  but God will speak concerning ¹⁷⁴  the welfare of Pharaoh.” ¹⁷⁵ 

41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing ¹⁷⁶  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. ¹⁷⁷  41:19 Then ¹⁷⁸  seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows ¹⁷⁹  as these in all the land of Egypt! 41:20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven ¹⁸⁰  fat cows. 41:21 When they had eaten them, ¹⁸¹  no one would have known ¹⁸²  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 ¹⁸³  seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 41:23 Then ¹⁸⁴  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 ¹⁸⁵  to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” ¹⁸⁶ 

41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. ¹⁸⁷  God has revealed ¹⁸⁸  to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ¹⁸⁹  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. ¹⁹⁰  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 ¹⁹¹  seven years of famine. 41:28 This is just what I told ¹⁹²  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 ¹⁹³  after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate ¹⁹⁴  the land. 41:31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered ¹⁹⁵  because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. ¹⁹⁶  41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh ¹⁹⁷  because the matter has been decreed ¹⁹⁸  by God, and God will make it happen soon. ¹⁹⁹ 

41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look ²⁰⁰  for a wise and discerning man ²⁰¹  and give him authority ²⁰²  over all the land of Egypt. 41:34 Pharaoh should do ²⁰³  this – he should appoint ²⁰⁴  officials ²⁰⁵  throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt ²⁰⁶  during the seven years of abundance. 41:35 They should gather all the excess food ²⁰⁷  during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority ²⁰⁸  they should store up grain so the cities will have food, ²⁰⁹  and they should preserve it. ²¹⁰  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.” ²¹¹ 

41:37 This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. ²¹²  41:38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, ²¹³  one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” ²¹⁴  41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning ²¹⁵  as you are! 41:40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. ²¹⁶  Only I, the king, will be greater than you. ²¹⁷ 

41:41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place ²¹⁸  you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” ²¹⁹  41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen ²²⁰  clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. 41:43 Pharaoh ²²¹  had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, ²²²  and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” ²²³  So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission ²²⁴  no one ²²⁵  will move his hand or his foot ²²⁶  in all the land of Egypt.” 41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. ²²⁷  He also gave him Asenath ²²⁸  daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ²²⁹  to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of ²³⁰  all the land of Egypt.

41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old ²³¹  when he began serving ²³²  Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by ²³³  Pharaoh and was in charge of ²³⁴  all the land of Egypt. 41:47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. ²³⁵  41:48 Joseph ²³⁶  collected all the excess food ²³⁷  in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. ²³⁸  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, ²³⁹  until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.

41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. ²⁴⁰  Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. ²⁴¹  41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, ²⁴²  saying, ²⁴³  “Certainly ²⁴⁴  God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 41:52 He named the second child Ephraim, ²⁴⁵  saying, ²⁴⁶  “Certainly ²⁴⁷  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, ²⁴⁸  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, ²⁴⁹  “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

41:56 While the famine was over all the earth, ²⁵⁰  Joseph opened the storehouses ²⁵¹  and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 41:57 People from every country ²⁵²  came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.

42:1 When Jacob heard ²⁵³  there was grain in Egypt, he ²⁵⁴  said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” ²⁵⁵  42:2 He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us ²⁵⁶  so that we may live ²⁵⁷  and not die.” ²⁵⁸ 

42:3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 42:4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, ²⁵⁹  for he said, ²⁶⁰  “What if some accident ²⁶¹  happens ²⁶²  to him?” 42:5 So Israel’s sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, ²⁶³  for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.

42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the country, the one who sold grain to all the people of the country. ²⁶⁴  Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down ²⁶⁵  before him with ²⁶⁶  their faces to the ground.