THE STORY OF JOSEPH

: Selections From The Bible
: Types Of Children's Literature

And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the

land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being

seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the

lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his

father's wives; and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the

son of hi old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. And when his

brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren,

they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.



And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated

him yet the more. And he said unto them, "Hear, I pray you, this dream

which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the

field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold,

your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf." And

his brethren said to him, "Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt

thou indeed have dominion over us?" And they hated him yet the more for

his dreams, and for his words.



And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said,

"Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon

and the eleven stars made obeisance to me." And he told it to his

father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto

him, "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother

and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the

earth?" And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the

saying.



And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. And

Israel said unto Joseph: "Do not thy brethren feed the flock in

Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them." And he said to him:

"Here am I." And he said to him: "Go, I pray thee, see whether it be

well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word

again." So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to

Shechem.



And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the

field: and the man asked him, saying, "What seekest thou?" And he said:

"I seek my brethren; tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their

flocks." And the man said: "They are departed hence; for I heard them

say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" And Joseph went after his brethren, and

found them in Dothan. And when they saw him afar off, even before he

came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they

said one to another: "Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now, therefore,

and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, 'Some

evil beast hath devoured him:' and we shall see what will become of his

dreams." And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands,

and said: "Let us not kill him." And Reuben said unto them, "Shed no

blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no

hand upon him "--that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver

him to his father again.



And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they

stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on

him; and they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty,

there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they

lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites

came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh,

going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren,

"What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come,

and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon

him; for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brethren were

content. Then there passed by Midianites, merchant-men; and they drew

and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites

for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.



And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the

pit; and he rent his clothes.



And he returned unto his brethren, and said, "The child is not; and I,

whither shall I go?" And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of

the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; and they sent the coat of

many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, "This have

we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no." And he knew it,

and said, "It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph

is without doubt rent in pieces." And Jacob rent his clothes, and put

sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all

his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused

to be comforted; and he said, "For I will go down into the grave unto

my son mourning." Thus his father wept for him. And the Midianites sold

him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and a captain of

the guard.



* * * * *



And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of

Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of

the Ishmaelites, and which had brought him down thither. And the Lord

was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house

of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with

him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And

Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him

overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And

it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his

house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's

house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that

he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in

Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he

did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favored. And it came

to pass that his master's wife falsely accused Joseph. And Joseph's

master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's

prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison.



But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor

in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison

committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison;

and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the

prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the

Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.



And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of

Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. And

Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, and against the chief of

the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. And he put them in

ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the

place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard charged

Joseph with them, and he served them; and they continued a season in

ward.



And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night,

each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and

the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And

Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and,

behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with

him in the ward of his lord's house, saying: "Wherefore look ye so

sadly today?" And they said unto him: "We have dreamed a dream, and

there is no interpreter of it." And Joseph said unto them, "Do not

interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you." And the chief

butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold

a vine was before me. And in the vine were three branches; and it was

as though it budded and her blossoms shot forth, and the clusters

thereof brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand;

and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave

the cup into Pharaoh's hand." And Joseph said unto him, "This is the

interpretation of it: the three branches are three days. Yet within

three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy

place; and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the

former manner when thou wast his butler. But think on me when it shall

be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make

mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. For indeed

I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I

done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon." When the chief

baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, "I

also was in my dream, and behold I had three white baskets on my head.

And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for

Pharaoh, and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head."

And Joseph answered and said, "This is the interpretation thereof: the

three baskets are three days. Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift

up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree, and the birds

shall eat thy flesh from off thee."



And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that

he made a feast unto all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the

chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. And he restored

the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into

Pharaoh's hand; but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had

interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but

forgat him.



And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed;

and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up out of

the river seven well-favored kine and fat-fleshed; and they fed in a

meadow. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the

river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine upon

the brink of the river. And the ill-favored and lean-fleshed kine did

eat up the seven well-favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.



And he slept and dreamed the second time; and, behold, seven ears of

corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven thin

ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. And the seven

thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke,

and, behold, it was a dream.



And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he

sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men

thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could

interpret them unto Pharaoh.



Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, "I do remember my

faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in

ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:

and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he: we dreamed each man

according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with

us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we

told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to

his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to

us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged."



Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out

of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and

came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "I have dreamed a

dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of

thee that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it." And Joseph

answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an

answer of peace." And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I

stood upon the bank of the river: and, behold, there came up out of the

river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored; and they fed in a

meadow; and, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very

ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of

Egypt for badness; and the lean and the ill-favored kine did eat up the

first seven fat kine; and when they had eaten them up, it could not be

known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favored, as at

the beginning. So I awoke. And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven

ears came up in one stalk, full and good; and, behold, seven ears,

withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them;

and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto

the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me."



And Joseph said unto Pharaoh: "The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath

showed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven

years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And

the seven thin and ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven

years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be

seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto

Pharaoh: what God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there

come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt; and

there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty

shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine shall consume

the land; and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of

that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. And for that the

dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is

established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now

therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him

over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint

officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt

in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those

good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and

let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to

the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land

of Egypt; that the land perish not through famine."



And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all

his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, "Can we find such a

one as this is, a man in whom the spirit of God is?" And Pharaoh said

unto Joseph, "Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none

so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and

according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the

throne will I be greater than thou." And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,

"See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt." And Pharaoh took off

his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him

in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he

made him to ride in the second chariot which he had, and they cried

before him, "Bow the knee": and he made him ruler over all the land of

Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without thee

shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." And

Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife

Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of On. And Joseph went out

over all the land of Egypt.



And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of

Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went

throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the

earth brought forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the

seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in

the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city,

laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the

sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. And

unto Joseph were born two sons, befare the years of famine came, which

Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of On, bare unto him. And

Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God," said he,

"hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house." And the

name of the second called he Ephraim: "For God hath caused me to be

fruitful in the land of my affliction."



And the seven years of plenteousness that was in the land of Egypt were

ended. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph

had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt

there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the

people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the

Egyptians, "Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do." And the famine

was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the

storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in

the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to

buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.



Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his

sons: "Why do ye look one upon another?" And he said, "Behold, I have

heard that there is corn in Egypt; get you down thither, and buy for us

from thence; that we may live, and not die."



And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin,

Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, "Lest

peradventure mischief befall him." And the sons of Israel came to buy

corn among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to

all the people of the land; and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down

themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his

brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and

spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them: "Whence come ye?" And

they said: "From the land of Canaan to buy food." And Joseph knew his

brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph remembered the dreams which

he dreamed of them, and said unto them: "Ye are spies; to see the

nakedness of the land ye are come." And they said unto him: "Nay, my

lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons;

we are true men, thy servants are no spies." And he said unto them:

"Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come." And they said:

"Thy servants are twelve brethren, sons of one man in the land of

Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one

is not." And Joseph said unto them: "That is it that I spake unto you,

saying, 'Ye are spies:' hereby ye shall be proved: by the life of

Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come

hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall

be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any

truth in you; or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies." And

he put them all together into ward three days. And Joseph said unto

them the third day:



"This do, and live; for I fear God: if ye be true men, let one of your

brethren be bound in the house of your prison; go ye, carry corn for

the famine of your houses; but bring your youngest brother unto me; so

shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die." And they did so.



And they said one to another: "We are verily guilty concerning our

brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us,

and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us." And

Reuben answered them, saying, "Spake I not unto you, saying, 'Do not

sin against the child;' and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also

his blood is required." And they knew not that Joseph understood them;

for he spake unto them by an interpreter. And he turned himself about

from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with

them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.



Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore

every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the

way: and thus did he unto them. And they laded their asses with the

corn and departed thence. And as one of them opened his sack to give

his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for behold it was in

his sack's mouth. And he said unto his brethren, "My money is restored;

and, lo, it is even in my sack:" and their heart failed them, and they

were afraid, saying one to another, "What is this that God hath done

unto us?"



And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told

him all that befell unto them, saying: "The man who is the lord of the

land spoke roughly to us and took us for spies of the country. And we

said unto him, 'We are true men; we are no spies; we be twelve

brethren, sons of our father; one is not and the youngest is this day

with our father in the land of Canaan.' And the man, the lord of the

country, said unto us: 'Hereby shall I know that ye are true men:

leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine

of your households, and be gone; and bring your youngest brother unto

me, then shall I know that ye are no spies but that ye are true men; so

will I deliver you your brother and ye shall traffick in the land.'"



And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every

man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when both they and their

father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their

father said unto them: "Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is

not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; all these

things are against me." And Reuben spake unto his father, saying: "Slay

my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and

I will bring him to thee again." And he said: "My son shall not go down

with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone; if mischief

befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my

gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."



And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when they had

eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father

said unto them: "Go again, buy us a little food." And Judah spake unto

him saying:



"The man did solemnly protest unto us saying, 'Ye shall not see my

face, except your brother be with you.' If thou wilt send our brother

with us, we will go down and buy thee food. But if thou wilt not send

him, we will not go down; for the man said unto us, 'Ye shall not see

my face, except your brother be with you.'" And Israel said: "Wherefore

dealt ye so ill with me as to tell the man whether ye had yet a

brother?" And they said, "The man asked us straitly of our state and of

our kindred, saying, 'Is your father yet alive? Have ye another

brother?' And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could

we certainly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?'" And

Judah said unto Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will

arise and go; that we may live and not die, both we and thou and also

our little ones. I will be surety for him: if I bring him not unto thee

and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever. For except

we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time." And

their father Israel said unto them, "If it must be so now, do this:

take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the

man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh,

nuts and almonds; and take double money in your hand; and the money

that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in

your hand; peradventure it was an oversight. Take also your brother,

and arise, go again unto the man; and God Almighty give you mercy

before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin.

If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."



And the men took that present, and they took double money in their

hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood

before Joseph. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the

ruler of his house, "Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready;

for these men shall dine with me at noon." And the man did as Joseph

bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. And the men were

afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said,

"Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time

are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon

us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses." And they came near to the

steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of

the house, and said, "O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to

buy food; and it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened

our sacks, and, behold; every man's money was in the mouth of his sack,

our money in full weight; and we have brought it again in our hand. And

other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food; we cannot

tell who put our money in our sacks." And he said: "Peace be to you,

fear not; your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure

in your sacks; I had your money." And he brought Simeon out unto them.

And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water,

and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they

made ready the present against Joseph came at noon; for they heard that

they should eat bread there.



And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in

their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

And he asked them of their welfare, and said: "Is your father well, the

old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?" And they answered: "Thy

servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive." And they bowed

down their heads, and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes, and

saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said: "Is this your

younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me?" And he said, "God be

gracious unto thee, my son." And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did

yearn upon his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered

into his chamber, and wept there. And he washed his face, and went out,

and refrained himself, and said, "Set on bread." And they set on for

him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians,

which did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not

eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the

Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his

birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men

marveled one at another. And he took and sent messes unto them from

before him, but Benjamin's mess was five times as much as any of

theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.



And he commanded the steward of his house, saying: "Fill the men's

sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money

in his sack's mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's

mouth of the youngest, and his corn money." And he did according to the

word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning was light, the men

were sent away, they and their asses. And when they were gone out of

the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, "Up,

follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them,

'Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Is not this it in which my

lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so

doing.'"



And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. And they

said unto him, "Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that

thy servants should do according to this thing: behold, the money,

which was found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of

the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house

silver or gold? With whosoever of thy servants it be found, both let

him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen." And he said, "Now also

let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be

my servant; and ye shall be blameless." Then they speedily took down

every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. And he

searched, and began at the eldest and left at the youngest: and the cup

was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they rent their clothes, and laded

every man his ass, and returned to the city.



And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, for he was yet

there; and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said unto

them: "What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man

as I can certainly divine?" And Judah said: "What shall we say unto my

lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath

found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's

servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found." And he

said: "God forbid that I should do so; but the man in whose hand the

cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in

peace unto your father."



Then Judah came near unto him, and said: "Oh my lord, let thy servant,

I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger

burn against thy servant, for thou art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked

his servants, saying, 'Have ye a father, or a brother?' And we said

unto my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old

age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his

mother, and his father loveth him.' And thou saidst unto thy servants,

'Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.' And we

said unto my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should

leave his father, his father would die.' And thou saidst unto thy

servants, 'Except your youngest brother came down with you, ye shall

see my face no more.' And it came to pass when we came up unto thy

servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father

said, 'Go again, and buy us a little food.' And we said, 'We cannot go

down. If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we

may not see the man's face except our youngest brother be with us!' And

thy servant my father said to us, 'Ye know that my wife bare me two

sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in

pieces," and I saw him not since. And if ye take this also from me and

mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to

the grave.' Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the

lad be not with us, seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life,

it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that

he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy

servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became

surety for the lad unto my father, saying, 'If I bring him not unto

thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father forever.' Now therefore,

I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my

lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to

my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil

that shall come on my father."



Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by

him; and he cried, "Cause every man to go out from me." And there stood

no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And

he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And

Joseph said unto his brethren, "I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?"

And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his

presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, "Come near to me, I pray

you." And they came near. And he said, "I am Joseph your brother, whom

ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with

yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to

preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land:

and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be

earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a

posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and he hath made me

a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout

all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto

him, 'Thus said thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt:

come down unto me, tarry not: and thou shalt dwell in the land of

Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy

children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou

hast; and there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of

famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to

poverty.' And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother

Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell

my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and

ye shall haste and bring down my father hither." And he fell upon his

brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

Moreover, he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them, and after

that his brethren talked with him.



And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, "Joseph's

brethren are come;" and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. And

Pharaoh said unto Joseph: "Say unto thy brethren, 'This do ye; lade

your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; and take your

father and your households, and come unto me, and I will give you the

good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.' Now

thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of

Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father,

and come.' Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of

Egypt is yours." And the children of Israel did so; and Joseph gave

them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them

provision for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of

raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and

five changes of raiment. And to his father he sent after this manner;

ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden

with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. So he sent his

brethren away, and they departed; and he said unto them, "See that ye

fall not out by the way."



And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto

Jacob their father, and told him, saying, "Joseph is yet alive, and he

is governor over all the land of Egypt." And Jacob's heart fainted, for

he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which

he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent

to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: and Israel

said, "It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him

before I die."



And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-

sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God

spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, "Jacob,

Jacob." And he said, "Here am I." And he said, "I am God, the God of

thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of

thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will

also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon

thine eyes." And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel

carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in

the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their

cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan,

and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: his sons, and

his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and

all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.



And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto

Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. And Joseph made ready

his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and

presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his

neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph: "Now let me die, since

I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive." And Joseph said unto

his brethren, and unto his father's house: "I will go up, and show

Pharaoh, and say unto him, 'My brethren, and my father's house, which

were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; and the men are

shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have

brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.' And it

shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, 'What

is your occupation?' that ye shall say, 'Thy servants' trade hath been

about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our

fathers:' that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd

is an abomination unto the Egyptians."



Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said: "My father and my

brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have,

are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land

of Goshen." And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and

presented them unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren: "What

is your occupation?" And they said unto Pharaoh: "Thy servants are

shepherds, both we, and also our fathers." They said moreover unto

Pharaoh, "For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have

no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of

Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land

of Goshen." And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying: "Thy father and thy

brethren are come unto thee: the land of Egypt is before thee; in the

best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of

Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among

them, then make them rulers over my cattle." And Joseph brought in

Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed

Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, "How old art thou?" And Jacob

said unto Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an

hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my

life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life

of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." And Jacob blessed

Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.



And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a

possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land

of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph nourished his father

and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according

to their families.



And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore,

so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason

of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in

the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they

bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. And when

money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the

Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, "Give us bread, for why should we

die in thy presence? for the money faileth." And Joseph said, "Give

your cattle, and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail." And

they brought their cattle unto Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread in

exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the

herds, and for the asses; and he fed them with bread for all their

cattle for that year. When that year was ended, they came unto him the

second year, and said unto him, "We will not hide it from my lord, how

that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there

is not aught left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our

lands. Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land?

buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants

unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the

land be not desolate."



And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians

sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them. So

the land became Pharaoh's. And as for the people, he removed them to

cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end

thereof. Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests

had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which

Pharaoh gave them. Wherefore they sold not their lands. Then Joseph

said unto the people: "Behold, I have bought you this day and your land

for Pharaoh; lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And

it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth

part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the

field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food

for your little ones." And they said: "Thou hast saved our lives: let

us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's

servants." And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this

day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the

priests only, which became not Pharaoh's. And Israel dwelt in the land

of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein,

and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of

Egypt seventeen years; so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty

and seven years. And the time drew nigh that Israel must die, and he

called his son Joseph, and said unto him, "If now I have found grace in

thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly

and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt; but I will lie

with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in

their burying-place." And he said, "I will do as thou hast said." And

he said, "Swear unto me." And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed

himself upon the bed's head.



And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, "Behold,

thy father is sick;" and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and

Ephraim. And one told Jacob, and said, "Behold, thy son Joseph cometh

unto thee;" and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. And

Jacob said unto Joseph, "God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the

land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said unto me, 'Behold, I will make

thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude

of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an

everlasting possession.'



"And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee

in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as

Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy issue, which thou

begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the

name of their brethren in their inheritance. And as for me, when I came

from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when

yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her

there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Beth-lehem." And Israel beheld

Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?" And Joseph said unto his

father, "They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place." And

he said, "Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them." Now

the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he

brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. And

Israel said unto Joseph, "I had not thought to see thy face, and, lo,

God hath showed me also thy seed." And Joseph brought them out from

between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And

Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left

hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and

brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand,

and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand

upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the

firstborn.



And he blessed Joseph, and said, "God, before whom my fathers Abraham

and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this

day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let

my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." And when

Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of

Ephraim, it displeased him; and he held up his father's hand, to remove

it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his

father:



"Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon

his head." And his father refused, and said, "I know it, my son, I know

it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but

truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall

become a multitude of nations." And he blessed them that day, saying,

"In thee shall Israel bless, saying, 'God make thee as Ephraim and as

Manasseh;'" and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. And Israel said unto

Joseph, "Behold, I die; but God shall be with you, and bring you again

unto the land of your fathers. Moreover, I have given to thee one

portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite

with my sword and with my bow."



And Jacob called unto his sons and blessed them; every one according to

his blessing he blessed them. And he charged them, and said unto them:



"I am to be gathered unto my people. Bury me with my fathers in the

cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in

the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan,

which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a

possession of a buryingplace. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his

wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried

Leah. The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was

from the children of Heth."



And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up

his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto

his people.



And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed

him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his

father; and the physicians embalmed Israel. And forty days were

fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are

embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.

And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the

house of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found grace in your eyes,

speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 'My father made me

swear, saying, "Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in

the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me." Now therefore let me go

up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.'" And

Pharaoh said, "Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee

swear."



And Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the

servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the

land of Egypt. And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his

father's house; only their little ones, and their flocks, and their

herds, they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both

chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. And they came

to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they

mourned with a great and very sore lamentation; and he made a mourning

for his father seven days. And when the inhabitants of the land, the

Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, "This is

a grievous mourning to the Egyptians;" wherefore the name of it was

called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond Jordan. And his sons did unto him

according as he commanded them; for his sons carried him into the land

of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which

Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of

Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.



And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went

up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. And

when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said,

"Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all

the evil which we did unto him." And they sent a messenger unto Joseph,

saying, "Thy father did command before he died, saying: 'So shall ye

say unto Joseph, "Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy

brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil."' And now, we

pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy

father." And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren

also went and fell down before his face; and they said," Behold, we be

thy servants." And Joseph said unto them, "Fear not; for am I in the

place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant

it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people

alive. Now therefore fear ye not. I will nourish you, and your little

ones." And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.



And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house; and Joseph lived

an hundred and ten years. And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the

third generation; the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were

brought up upon Joseph's knees. And Joseph said unto his brethren, "I

die; and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto

the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." And Joseph

took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely visit

you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence." So Joseph died, being

an hundred and ten years old. And they embalmed him, and he was put in

a coffin in Egypt.