Day 102 of 365

¹He 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.

²Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, with his grain money." He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

³As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

⁴When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you rewarded evil for good?

⁵Isn't this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.'"

⁶He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

⁷They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

⁸Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?

⁹With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondservants."

¹⁰He said, "Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found will be my bondservant; and you will be blameless."

¹¹Then they hurried, and every man took his sack down to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

¹²He searched, beginning with the eldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

¹³Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.

¹⁴Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

¹⁵Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed divine?"

¹⁶Judah said, "What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's bondservants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found."

¹⁷He said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my bondservant; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

¹⁸Then Judah came near to him, and said, "Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.

¹⁹My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father, or a brother?'

²⁰We said to 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 loves him.'

²¹You said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.'

²²We said to my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

²³You said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.'

²⁴It happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

²⁵Our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

²⁶We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man's face, unless our youngest brother is with us.'

²⁷Your servant, my father, said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons:

²⁸and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces;" and I haven't seen him since.

²⁹If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.'

³⁰Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the boy's life;

³¹it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.

³²For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

³³Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, a bondservant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

³⁴For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn't with me?-lest I see the evil that will come on my father."

¹Then Joseph couldn't control himself before all those who stood before him, and he cried, "Cause every man to go out from me!" No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

²He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.

³Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Does my father still live?" His brothers couldn't answer him; for they were terrified at his presence.

⁴Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." They came near. "He said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

⁵Now do not be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

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

⁷God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.

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

⁹Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, 'This is what your son Joseph says, "God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Do not wait.

¹⁰You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children's children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

¹¹There I will nourish you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have."'

¹²Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.

¹³You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father down here."

¹⁴He fell on his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.

¹⁵He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.

¹⁶The report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, "Joseph's brothers have come." It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

¹⁷Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'Do this. Load your animals, and go, travel to the land of Canaan.

¹⁸Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.'

¹⁹Now you are commanded: do this. Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

²⁰Also, do not concern yourselves about your belongings, for the good of all of the land of Egypt is yours."

²¹The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

²²He gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing.

²³To his father, he sent after this manner: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father by the way.

²⁴So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, "See that you do not quarrel on the way."

²⁵They went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.

²⁶They told him, saying, "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." His heart fainted, for he did not believe them.

²⁷They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived.

²⁸Israel said, "It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."

¹Israel traveled with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac.

²God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob!" He said, "Here I am."

³He said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation.

⁴I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you up again. Joseph will close your eyes."

⁵Jacob rose up from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

⁶They took their livestock, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt-Jacob, and all his seed with him,

⁷his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and he brought all his seed with him into Egypt.

⁸These are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

⁹The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

¹⁰The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

¹¹The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

¹²The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

¹³The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.

¹⁴The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

¹⁵These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three.

¹⁶The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

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

¹⁸These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob, even sixteen souls.

¹⁹The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

²⁰To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. And there were sons born to Manasseh, which the Aramean concubine bore to him: Machir. And Machir begot Gilead. And the sons of Ephraim, the brother of Manasseh: Shuthelah and Tahan. And the sons of Shuthelah: Eran

²¹And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel. And the sons of Bela were: Gera and Naaman, and Ehi, and Rosh, and Muppim, and Huppim. And Gera begot Ard.

²²These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: all the souls were eighteen.

²³The son of Dan: Hushim.

²⁴The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

²⁵These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob: all the souls were seven.

²⁶All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct descendants, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were sixty-six.

²⁷The sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were nine souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, who came into Egypt, were seventy-five.

²⁸He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen.

²⁹Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

³⁰Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive."

³¹Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father's house, "I will go up, and speak with Pharaoh, and will tell him, 'My brothers, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

³²These men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.'

³³It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and will say, 'What is your occupation?'

³⁴that you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers:' that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."

¹Hear my prayer, Lord! Let my cry come to you.

²Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Turn your ear to me. Answer me quickly in the day when I call.

³For my days consume away like smoke. My bones are burned as a firebrand.

⁴My heart is blighted like grass, and withered, for I forget to eat my bread.

⁵By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones stick to my skin.

⁶I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I have become as an owl of the waste places.

⁷I watch, and have become like a sparrow that is alone on the housetop.

⁸My enemies reproach me all day. Those who are mad at me use my name as a curse.

⁹For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears,

¹⁰Because of your indignation and your wrath, for you have taken me up, and thrown me away.

¹¹My days are like a long shadow. I have withered like grass.

¹²But you, Lord, will abide forever; your renown endures to all generations.

¹³You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for it is time to have pity on her. Yes, the set time has come.

¹⁴For your servants take pleasure in her stones, and have pity on her dust.

¹⁵So the nations will fear the name of the Lord; all the kings of the earth your glory.

¹⁶For the Lord has built up Zion. He has appeared in his glory.

¹⁷He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer.

¹⁸This will be written for the generation to come. A people which will be created will praise Yah.

¹⁹For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary. From heaven, the Lord saw the earth;

²⁰to hear the groans of the prisoner; to free those who are condemned to death;

²¹that men may declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

²²when the peoples are gathered together, the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

²³He weakened my strength along the course. He shortened my days.

²⁴I said, "My God, do not take me away in the midst of my days. Your years are throughout all generations.

²⁵Of old, you laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of your hands.

²⁶They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment. You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed.

²⁷But you are the same. Your years will have no end.

²⁸The children of your servants will continue. Their seed will be established before you."

¹Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.

²She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

³She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city:

⁴"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

⁵"Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!

⁶Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding."

⁷He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.

⁸Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

⁹Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.

¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.

¹³The foolish woman is loud, Undisciplined, and knows nothing.

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

¹⁵To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways,

¹⁶"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

¹⁷"Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant."

¹⁸But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.