Joseph, Son of Jacob

She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.

He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.

Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.

The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.

Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.

“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—

So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

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

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

His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”

Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, where an Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.

Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.

From the time that he put Joseph in charge of his household and all he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s household on account of him. The LORD’s blessing was on everything he owned, both in his house and in his field.

So Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph’s care; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,

and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”

Although Potiphar’s wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be near her.

So Joseph’s master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. While Joseph was there in the prison,

the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

And the warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care, so that he was responsible for all that was done in the prison.

and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined.

The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant. After they had been in custody for some time,

When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were distraught.

“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me,

Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days.

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head.

Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days.

But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had described to them in his interpretation.

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot all about him.

So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.

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

“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.”

Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.

And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.”

Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.

Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.

Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”

the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.

When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

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

But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”

Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!

and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:

They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”

So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”

The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.

But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.

And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.

Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.

Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.

Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.

“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!” So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt!

Now return quickly 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 without delay.

When the news reached Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and his servants were pleased.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do as follows: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan.

So the sons of Israel did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.

“Joseph is still alive,” they said, “and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” But Jacob was stunned, for he did not believe them.

However, when they relayed all that Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob was revived.

“Enough!” declared Israel. “My son Joseph is still alive! I will go to see him before I die.”

I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”

The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt were seventy in all.

Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen,

Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!”

Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh: ‘My brothers and my father’s household from the land of Canaan have come to me.

So Joseph went and told Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.”

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you,

Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for their families.

Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying, and he brought it into Pharaoh’s palace.

When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”

“Then bring me your livestock,” said Joseph. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock.”

So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. Throughout that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.

So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s,

Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land.

So Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.

When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt,

Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.

Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me

Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.”

“I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”

Then Joseph removed his sons from his father’s knees and bowed facedown.

And Joseph took both of them—with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand—and brought them close to him.

Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased and took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s.

“Not so, my father!” Joseph said. “This one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Joseph is a fruitful vine— a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.

The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.

And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,

When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that

Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied him—the elders of Pharaoh’s household and all the elders of the land of Egypt—

along with all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen.

After Joseph had buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.”

So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,

‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?

Now Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110.

He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt.

The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.

Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,

Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.”

And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.

Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him

On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.

Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all.

Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt.

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.