Genesis 41:38–42:17
Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt
38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, ain whom is a divine spirit?”
39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so adiscerning and wise as you are.
40 “aYou shall be over my house, and according to your 1command all my people shall 2do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.”
41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you aover all the land of Egypt.”
42 Then Pharaoh atook off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and bput the gold necklace around his neck.
43 He had him ride in 1his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, “2Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt.
44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet awithout 1your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”
45 Then Pharaoh named Joseph 1Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of 2aOn, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.
46 Now Joseph was athirty years old when he 1stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.
47 During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth 1abundantly.
48 So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields.
49 Thus Joseph stored up grain 1in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped 2measuring it, for it was 3beyond measure.
50 Now before the year of famine came, atwo sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of 1On, bore to him.
51 Joseph named the firstborn 1Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”
52 He named the second 1Ephraim, “For,” he said, “aGod has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end,
54 and athe seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; awhatever he says to you, you shall do.”
56 When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all 1the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
57 The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because athe famine was severe in all the earth.
Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt
1 Now aJacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
2 He said, “Behold, aI have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us 1from that place, bso that we may live and not die.”
3 Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother aBenjamin with his brothers, for he said, “bI am afraid that harm may befall him.”
5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, afor the famine was in the land of Canaan also.
6 Now aJoseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bbowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
7 When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and aspoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although athey did not recognize him.
9 Joseph aremembered the dreams which he 1had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the 2undefended parts of our land.”
10 Then they said to him, “No, amy lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
11 “We are all sons of one man; we are ahonest men, your servants are not spies.”
12 Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the 1undefended parts of our land!”
13 But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with aour father today, and bone is no longer alive.”
14 Joseph said to them, “It is as I said 1to you, you are spies;
15 by this you will be tested: aby the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here!
16 “Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is atruth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”
17 So he put them all together in aprison for three days.