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Genesis
41:1 - 44:17
1: 41:1-14 (14 Verses)
2: 41:15-38 (24 Verses)
3: 41:39-52 (14 Verses)
4: 41:53-42:18 (23 Verses)
5: 42:19-43:15 (35 Verses)
6: 43:16-29 (14 Verses)
7: 43:30-44:17 (22 Verses)
First
Reading
Gen
41:1-14 (14 Verses)
CHAPTER
41
1
When two full years had passed, Big House (or Pharaoh) had a dream:
(In the dream) he was standing by the
Nile
,
2
when seven cows came up out of the river. (They were) sleek and
fat, and they grazed among the reeds.
3
After them, seven ugly and gaunt cows, came up out of the
Nile
and stood beside the others on the riverbank.
4
And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat
cows. Then Big House woke up.
5
He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain,
healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk.
6
After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted-- thin and scorched
by the east wind.
7
The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads.
Then Big House woke up, seeing it had been a dream.
8
In the morning he was troubled in spirit, so he sent for all the
astrologers and wise men of Double Straits (or Egypt). Big House told them
his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
9
Then the chief cupbearer said to Big House, "Today I am
reminded of my shortcomings.
10
Big House was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me
and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.
11
Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning
of its own.
12
Now a young Man from beyond (a Hebrew) was there with us, the
servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he
interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.
13
And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was
restored to my position, and the other man was hanged."
14
So Big House sent for Eternal Has Added, (called Joseph or Yowceph)
and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and
changed his clothes, he came before Big House.
Second
Reading
Gen
41:15-38 (24 Verses)
15
Big House said to Eternal Has Added, "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."
16
"I cannot do it," Eternal Has Added replied to Big House,
"but Mighty will give Big House the answer he desires."
17
Then Big House said to Eternal Has Added, "In my dream I was
standing on the bank of the river (
Nile
).
18
when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and
they grazed among the reeds.
19
After them, seven other cows came up, (they were) scrawny and very
ugly and lean. He had never seen such ugly cows in all the
land
of
Double Straits
.
20
The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first.
21
But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done
so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.
22
"In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good,
growing on a single stalk.
23
After them, seven other heads sprouted-- withered and thin and
scorched by the east wind.
24
The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told
this to the astrologers, but none could explain it to me."
25
Then Eternal Has Added said to Big House, "The dreams of Big
House are one and the same. Mighty has revealed to Big House what He,
(Mighty) is about to do.
26
The seven good cows are seven good years, and the seven good heads
of grain are seven good years; it is one and the same dream.
27
The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven empty
years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east
wind: They are seven years of famine.
28
"It is just as I said to Big House: Mighty has shown Big House
what Mighty is about to do.
29
Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the
land
of
Double Straits
,
30
but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance
in Double Straits will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.
31
The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the
famine that follows it will be so severe.
32
The reason the dream was given to Big House in two forms is that
the matter has been firmly decided by Mighty, and Mighty will do it soon.
33
"And now Big House must look for a discerning and wise man
then put him in charge of the land of Double Straits.
34
Let Big House appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth
of the harvest of Double Straits during the seven years of abundance.
35
They should collect all the food of these good years that are
coming and store up the grain under the authority of Big House, to be kept
in the cities for food.
36
This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used
during the seven years of famine that will come upon Double Straits, so
that the country may not be ruined by the famine."
37
The plan seemed good to Big House and to all his officials.
38
So Big House asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man,
one in whom has the spirit of Mighty?"
Third
Reading
Gen.
41:39-52 (14 Verses)
39
Then Big House said to Eternal Has Added, "Since Mighty has
made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
40
You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to
submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater
than you."
41
So Big House said to Eternal Has Added, "I hereby put you in
charge of the whole
land
of
Double Straits
."
42
Then Big House took his signet ring from his finger and put it on
the finger of Eternal Has Added. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and
put a gold chain around his neck.
43
He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men
shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the
whole
land
of
Double Straits
.
44
Then Big House said to Eternal Has Added, "I am Big House, but
without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Double
Straits."
45
Big House gave Eternal Has Added the name Preserver of the Splendid
Rest and gave him ‘One Devoted to the goddess Neith’ daughter of
‘Given of Ra’, priest of ‘Strength and Vigor’, to be his wife. And
Eternal Has Added traveled throughout the
land
of
Double Straits
.
46
Eternal Has Added was thirty years old when he entered the service
of Big House king of Double Straits. And Eternal Has Added went out from
Big House's presence and traveled throughout Double Straits.
47
During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.
48
Eternal Has Added collected all the food produced in those seven
years of abundance in Double Straits and stored it in the cities. In each
city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it.
49
Eternal Has Added stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand
of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was
beyond measure.
50
Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Eternal Has
Added by ‘One Devoted to the goddess Neith’ daughter of ‘Given of
Ra’, priest of ‘Strength and Vigor’
51
Eternal Has Added named his firstborn Amnesia and said, "It is
because Mighty has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's
household."
52
The second son he named Doubly Fruitful and said, "It is
because Mighty has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."
Fourth
Reading
Gen
41:53-42:18 (23 Verses)
53
The seven years of abundance in Double Straits came to an end,
54
and the seven years of famine began, just as Eternal Has Added had
said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole
land
of
Double Straits
there was food.
55
When all Double Straits began to feel the famine, the people cried
to Big House for food. Then Big House told all the (citizens of) Double
Straits, "Go to Eternal Has Added and do what he tells you."
56
When the famine had spread over the whole country, Eternal Has
Added opened the storehouses and sold grain to the (citizens of) Double
Straits, for the famine was severe throughout Double Straits.
57
And all the countries came to Double Straits to buy grain from
Eternal Has Added, because the famine was severe in all the world.
CHAPTER
42
1
When Supplanter learned that there was grain in Double Straits, he
said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?"
2
He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Double
Straits. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not
die."
3
Then ten of the brothers of Eternal Has Added went down to buy
grain from Double Straits.
4
But Supplanter did not send Son of the Right (called Benyamin),
Eternal Has Added's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that
harm might come to him.
5
So Persevere as Mighty's sons were among those who went to buy
grain, for the famine was in the
Lowlands
also.
6
Now Eternal Has Added was the governor of the land, the one who
sold grain to all its people. So when Eternal Has Added's brothers
arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
7
As soon as Eternal Has Added saw his brothers, he recognized them,
but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where
do you come from?" he asked. "From the
Lowlands
," they replied, "to buy food."
8
Although Eternal Has Added recognized his brothers, they did not
recognize him.
9
Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them,
"You are spies! You have come to see where our land is
unprotected."
10
"No, my master," they answered. "Your servants have
come to buy food.
11
We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not
spies."
12
"No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where
our land is unprotected."
13
But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the
sons of one man, who lives in the
land
of
Lowlands
. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more."
14
Eternal Has Added said to them, "It is just as I told you: You
are spies!
15
And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Big House lives,
you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
16
Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will
be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are
telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Big House lives, you
are spies!"
17
And he put them all in custody for three days.
18
On the third day, Eternal Has Added said to them, "Do this and
you will live, for I fear Mighty:
Fifth
Reading
Gen
42:19-43:15 (35 Verses)
19
If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in
prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving
households.
20
Then you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words
may be verified and that you may not die." All these things they
proceeded to do.
21
They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished
because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with
us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has
come upon us."
22
Behold a Son replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against
the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his
blood."
23
They did not realize that Eternal Has Added could understand them
due to arrogance.
24
He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back
and spoke to them again. He had Heard taken from them and bound before
their eyes.
25
Eternal Has Added gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put
each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their
journey. After this was done for them,
26
they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.
27
At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened
his sack to get feed for his donkey he saw his silver in the mouth of his
sack.
28
"My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers.
"Here it is in my sack." Their hearts sank and they turned to
each other trembling and said, "What is this that Mighty has done to
us?"
29
When they came to their father Supplanter in the
Lowlands
, they told him all that had happened to them. They said,
30
"The man who is master over the land spoke harshly to us and
treated us as though we were spying on the land.
31
But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies.
32
We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and
the youngest is now with our father in
Lowlands
.'
33
"Then the man, who is master over the land said to us, 'This
is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers
here with me, and take food for your starving households and go.
34
But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are
not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and
you can trade in the land.'"
35
As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his
pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they
were frightened.
36
Their father Supplanter said to them, "You have deprived me of
my children. Eternal Has Added is no more and Heard is no more, and now
you want to take Son of the Right. Everything is against me!"
37
Then Behold a Son said to his father, "You may put both of my
sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care,
and I will bring him back."
38
But Supplanter said, "My son will not go down there with you;
his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on
the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave
in sorrow."
CHAPTER
43
1
Now the famine was still severe in the land.
2
So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Double
Straits, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little more
food."
3
But Praised said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You
will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'
4
If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy
food for you.
5
But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man
said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with
you.'"
6
Persevere as Mighty asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on
me by telling the man you had another brother?"
7
They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves
and our family. (He asked. 'Is your father still living?' 'Do you have
another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he
would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?"
8
Then Praised said to Persevere as Mighty his father, "Send the
boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our
children may live and not die.
9
I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally
responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here
before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.
10
As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned
twice."
11
Then their father Persevere as Mighty said to them, "If it
must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your
bags and take them down to the man as a gift-- a little balm and a little
honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.
12
Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the
silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a
mistake.
13
Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.
14
And may Mighty Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he
will let your other brother as well as Son of the Right come back with
you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."
15
So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Son
of the Right also. They hurried down to Double Straits and presented
themselves to Eternal Has Added.
Sixth
Reading
Gen.
43:16-29 (14 Verses)
16
When Eternal Has Added saw Son of the Right with them, he said to
the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an
animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon."
17
The man did as Eternal Has Added told him and took the men to
Eternal Has Added's house.
18
Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They
thought, "We were brought here because of the silver that was put
back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us
and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys."
19
So they went up to Eternal Has Added's steward and spoke to him at
the entrance to the house.
20
"Please, sir," they said, "we came down here the
first time to buy food.
21
But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks
and each of us found his silver-- the exact weight-- in the mouth of his
sack. So we have brought it back with us.
22
We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We
don't know who put our silver in our sacks."
23
"It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid. Your
Mighty, the Mighty of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I
received your silver." Then he brought Heard out to them.
24
The steward took the men into Eternal Has Added's house, gave them
water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys.
25
They prepared their gifts for Eternal Has Added's arrival at noon,
because they had heard that they were to eat there.
26
When Eternal Has Added came home, they presented to him the gifts
they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the
ground.
27
He asked them how they were, and then he said, "How is your
aged father you told me about? Is he still living?"
28
They replied, "Your servant our father is still alive and
well." And they bowed low to pay him honor.
29
As he looked about and saw his brother Son of the Right, his own
mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you
told me about?" And he said, "May Mighty show great favor to
you, my son."
Gen
43:30-44:22
30
Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Eternal Has Added hurried
out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept
there.
31
After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself,
said, "Serve the food."
32
They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the
citizens of Double Straits who ate with him by themselves, because a man
of Double Straits could not eat with Man from Beyond, for that is
detestable to those of Double Straits.
33
The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from
the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in
astonishment.
34
When portions were served to them from Eternal Has Added's table,
Son of the Right's portion was five times as much as anyone else's. So
they feasted and drank freely with him.
CHAPTER
44
1
Now Eternal Has Added gave these instructions to the steward of his
house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and
put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack.
2
Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's
sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Eternal Has
Added said.
3
As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their
donkeys.
4
They had not gone far from the city when Eternal Has Added said to
his steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with
them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil?
5
Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for
prognostication? This is a wicked thing you have done.'"
6
When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.
7
But they said to him, "Why does my master say such things? Far
be it from your servants to do anything like that!
8
We even brought back to you from the
Lowlands
the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal
silver or gold from your master's house?
9
If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the
rest of us will become my master's slaves."
10
"Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say.
Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be
free from blame."
11
Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12
Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and
ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Son of the Right's
sack.
13
At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their
donkeys and returned to the city.
14
Eternal Has Added was still in the house when Praised and his
brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.
15
Eternal Has Added said to them, "What is this you have done?
Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by
prognostication?"
16
"What can we say to my master?" Praised replied.
"What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? Mighty has
uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my master's slaves-- we
ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup."
17
But Eternal Has Added said, "Far be it from me to do such a
thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave.
The rest of you, go back to your father in peace."
18
Then Praised went up to him and said: "Please, my master, let
your servant speak a word to my master. Do not be angry with your servant,
though you are equal to Big House himself.
19
My master asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'
20
And we answered, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young son
born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of
his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.'
21
"Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I
can see him for myself.'
22
And we said to my master, 'The boy cannot leave his father; if he
leaves him, his father will die.'
Haftarah:
I Kings 3:15 - 4:1
15
Then Peace (called Solomon or Shlomoh in Hebrew) awoke-- and he
realized it had been a dream. He returned to Teaching of Peace, stood
before the ark of his Master's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and
fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.
16
Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17
One of them said, "My Master, this woman and I live in the
same house. I had a baby while she was there with me.
18
The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby.
We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.
19
"During the night this woman's son died because she lay on
him.
20
So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my
side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put
her dead son by my breast.
21
The next morning, I got up to nurse my son-- and he was dead! But
when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't
the son I had borne."
22
The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead
one is yours." But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is
yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king.
23
The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son
is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is
alive.'"
24
Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a
sword for the king.
25
He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give
half to one and half to the other."
26
The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her
son and said to the king, "Please, my Master, give her the living
baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you
shall have him. Cut him in two!"
27
Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the
first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."
28
When all
Israel
heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because
they saw that he had wisdom from Mighty to administer justice.
CHAPTER
4
1
So the King of Peace ruled over all that Persevere as Mighty.
Torah Study
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