Joseph in Egypt: Trust and Mistrust

(9) And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him: ‘In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; (10) and in the vine were three branches; and as it was budding, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes, (11) 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.’ (12) And Joseph said unto him: ‘This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; (13) within yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head, and restore thee unto thine office; and thou shalt give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. (14) But have me in thy remembrance 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. (15) 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.’ (16) When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph: ‘I also saw in my dream, and, behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head; (17) and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.’ (18) And Joseph answered and said: ‘This is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three days; (19) within yet 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.’ (20) 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 the head of the chief baker among his servants. (21) And he restored the chief butler back unto his butlership; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. (22) But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. (23) Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.

(1) And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. (2) And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, well-favoured and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the reed-grass. (3) And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. (4) And the ill-favoured and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. (5) And he slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. (6) And, behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. (7) And the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. (8) 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. (9) Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying: ‘I make mention of my faults this day: (10) Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in the ward of the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker. (11) And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. (12) And there was with us there 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. (13) And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was: I was restored unto mine office, and he was hanged.’ (14) 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. (15) 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 when thou hearest a dream thou canst interpret it.’ (16) And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying: ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.’ (17) And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph: ‘In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river. (18) And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favoured; and they fed in the reedgrass. (19) And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favoured and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness. (20) And the lean and ill-favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine. (21) And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favoured as at the beginning. So I awoke. (22) And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up upon one stalk, full and good. (23) And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. (24) And the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.’ (25) And Joseph said unto Pharaoh: ‘The dream of Pharaoh is one; what God is about to do He hath declared unto Pharaoh. (26) The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. (27) And the seven lean and ill-favoured kine that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind; they shall be seven years of famine. (28) That is the thing which I spoke unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do He hath shown unto Pharaoh. (29) Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. (30) 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; (31) and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine which followeth; for it shall be very grievous. (32) 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. (33) Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. (34) Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty. (35) And let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. (36) And the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.’ (37) And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. (38) And Pharaoh said unto his servants: ‘Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?’ (39) And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: ‘Forasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou. (40) 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.’ (41) And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: ‘See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.’ (42) And Pharaoh took off his signet 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. (43) And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him: ‘Abrech’; and he set him over all the land of Egypt. (44) And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: ‘I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.’ (45) And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.— (46) 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. (47) And in the seven years of plenty the earth brought forth in heaps. (48) 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. (49) And Joseph laid up corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until they left off numbering; for it was without number. (50) And unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On bore unto him. (51) And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh: ‘for God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.’ (52) And the name of the second called he Ephraim: ‘for God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.’ (53) And the seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end. (54) And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. (55) 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.’ (56) 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 was sore in the land of Egypt. (57) And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn; because the famine was sore in all the earth.

(1) Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons: ‘Why do ye look one upon another?’ (2) 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.’ (3) And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt. (4) But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: ‘Lest peradventure harm befall him.’ (5) And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Caanan. (6) And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down to him with their faces to the earth. (7) And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto them: ‘Whence come ye?’ And they said: ‘From the land of Canaan to buy food.’ (8) And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew him not. (9) 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.’ (10) And they said unto him: ‘Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. (11) We are all one man’s sons; we are upright men, thy servants are no spies.’ (12) And he said unto them: ‘Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.’ (13) And they said: ‘We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.’ (14) And Joseph said unto them: ‘That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies. (15) Hereby ye shall be proved, as Pharaoh liveth, ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. (16) Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh liveth, surely ye are spies.’ (17) And he put them all together into ward three days. (18) And Joseph said unto them the third day.’ This do, and live; for I fear God: (19) if ye be upright men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses; (20) and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die.’ And they did so. (21) And they said one to another: ‘We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.’ (22) And Reuben answered them, saying: ‘Spoke I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.’ (23) And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for the interpreter was between them. (24) And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes. (25) Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus was it done unto them. (26) And they laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence. (27) And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. (28) 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 turned trembling one to another, saying: ‘What is this that God hath done unto us?’ (29) And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying: (30) ’The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. (31) And we said unto him: We are upright men; we are no spies. (32) We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. . (33) And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us: Hereby shall I know that ye are upright men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take corn for the famine of your houses, and go your way. (34) And bring your youngest brother unto me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are upright men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.’ (35) And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. (36) 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; upon me are all these things come.’ (37) And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying: ‘Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.’ (38) And he said: ‘My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

(1) And the famine was sore in the land. (2) And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said unto them: ‘Go again, buy us a little food.’ (3) And Judah spoke unto him, saying: ‘The man did earnestly forewarn us, saying: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. (4) If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food; (5) 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.’ (6) And Israel said: ‘Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?’ (7) And they said: ‘The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning 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 in any wise know that he would say: Bring your brother down?’ (8) 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. (9) I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever. (10) For except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.’ (11) And their father Israel said unto them: ‘If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and ladanum, nuts, and almonds; (12) and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry back in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight; (13) take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man; (14) and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.’ (15) 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. (16) And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house: ‘Bring the men into the house, and kill the beasts, and prepare the meat; for the men shall dine with me at noon.’ (17) And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. (18) 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.’ (19) And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house, (20) and said: ‘Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food. (21) And it came to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, 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 back in our hand. (22) And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We know not who put our money in our sacks.’ (23) 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. (24) 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. (25) And they made ready the present against Joseph’s coming at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there. (26) And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down to him to the earth. (27) And he asked them of their welfare, and said: ‘Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?’ (28) And they said: ‘Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive.’ And they bowed the head, and made obeisance. (29) And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said: ‘Is this your youngest brother of whom ye spoke unto me?’ And he said: ‘God be gracious unto thee, my son.’ (30) And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned toward his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. (31) And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said: ‘Set on bread.’ (32) And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. (33) And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one with another. (34) And portions were taken unto them from before him; but Benjamin’s portion was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

(1) 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. (2) And put my goblet, the silver goblet, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.’ And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. (3) As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. (4) And when they were gone out of the city, and were 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? (5) Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.’ (6) And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words. (7) And they said unto him: ‘Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing. (8) Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’mouths, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan; how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold? (9) With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.’ (10) And he said: ‘Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.’ (11) Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. (12) And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin’s sack. (13) And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. (14) And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground. (15) And Joseph said unto them: ‘What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?’ (16) 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 bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.’ (17) And he said: ‘Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.’ (18) 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. (19) My lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a brother? (20) 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. (21) And thou saidst unto thy servants: Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. (22) And we said unto my lord: The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die. (23) And thou saidst unto thy servants: Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. (24) And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. (25) And our father said: Go again, buy us a little food. (26) 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. (27) And thy servant my father said unto us: Ye know that my wife bore me two sons; (28) and the one went out from me, and I said: Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since; (29) and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (30) Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad’s soul; (31) it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (32) For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever. (33) Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. (34) For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.’

(1) 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. (2) And he wept aloud; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard. (3) And Joseph said unto his brethren: ‘I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?’ And his brethren could not answer him; for they were affrighted at his presence. (4) 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. (5) And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life. (6) For these two years hath the famine been in the land; and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest. (7) And God sent me before you to give you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive for a great deliverance. (8) 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 ruler over all the land of Egypt. (9) Hasten ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him: Thus saith thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry not. (10) 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; (11) and there will I sustain thee; for there are yet five years of famine; lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast. (12) And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. (13) And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall hasten and bring down my father hither.’ (14) And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. (15) And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren talked with him. (16) And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying: ‘Joseph’s brethren are come’; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. (17) And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: ‘Say unto thy brethren: This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; (18) 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. (19) 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. (20) Also regard not your stuff; for the good things of all the land of Egypt are yours.’ (21) And the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. (22) To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver, and five changes of raiment. (23) And to his father he sent in like manner ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread and victual for his father by the way. (24) So he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and he said unto them: ‘See that ye fall not out by the way.’ (25) And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father. (26) And they told him, saying: ‘Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.’ And his heart fainted, for he believed them not. (27) 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. (28) And Israel said: ‘It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die.’