Genesis 38-41

Genesis 38

¹And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Judah goeth down from his brethren, and turneth aside unto a man, an Adullamite, whose name is Hirah;

²and Judah seeth there the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, whose name is Shuah, and taketh her, and goeth in unto her.

³And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er;

⁴and she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Onan;

⁵and she addeth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him.

⁶And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name is Tamar;

⁷and Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death.

⁸And Judah saith to Onan, ‘Go in unto the wife of thy brother, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother;'

⁹and Onan knoweth that the seed is not reckoned his; and it hath come to pass, if he hath gone in unto his brother's wife, that he hath destroyed it to the earth, so as not to give seed to his brother;

¹⁰and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death.

¹¹And Judah saith to Tamar his daughter-in-law, ‘Abide a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son groweth up;' for he said, ‘Lest he die -- even he -- like his brethren;' and Tamar goeth and dwelleth at her father's house.

¹²And the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah's wife, dieth; and Judah is comforted, and goeth up unto his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath.

¹³And it is declared to Tamar, saying, ‘Lo, thy husband's father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock;'

¹⁴and she turneth aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covereth herself with a vail, and wrappeth herself up, and sitteth in the opening of Enayim, which is by the way to Timnath, for she hath seen that Shelah hath grown up, and she hath not been given to him for a wife.

¹⁵And Judah seeth her, and reckoneth her for a harlot, for she hath covered her face,

¹⁶and he turneth aside unto her by the way, and saith, ‘Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee,' (for he hath not known that she is his daughter-in-law); and she saith, ‘What dost thou give to me, that thou mayest come in unto me?'

¹⁷and he saith, ‘I -- I send a kid of the goats from the flock.' And she saith, ‘Dost thou give a pledge till thou send it?'

¹⁸and he saith, ‘What is the pledge that I give to thee?' and she saith, ‘Thy seal, and thy ribbon, and thy staff which is in thy hand;' and he giveth to her, and goeth in unto her, and she conceiveth to him;

¹⁹and she riseth, and goeth, and turneth aside her vail from off her, and putteth on the garments of her widowhood.

²⁰And Judah sendeth the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he hath not found her.

²¹And he asketh the men of her place, saying, ‘Where is the separated one -- she in Enayim, by the way?' and they say, ‘There hath not been in this place a separated one.'

²²And he turneth back unto Judah, and saith, ‘I have not found her; and the men of the place also have said, There hath not been in this place a separated one,'

²³and Judah saith, ‘Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; lo, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.'

²⁴And it cometh to pass about three months after, that it is declared to Judah, saying, ‘Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath committed fornication; and also, lo, she hath conceived by fornication:' and Judah saith, ‘Bring her out -- and she is burnt.'

²⁵She is brought out, and she hath sent unto her husband's father, saying, ‘To a man whose these are, I am pregnant;' and she saith, ‘Discern, I pray thee, whose are these -- the seal, and the ribbons, and the staff.'

²⁶And Judah discerneth and saith, ‘She hath been more righteous than I, because that I did not give her to Shelah my son;' and he hath not added to know her again.

²⁷And it cometh to pass in the time of her bearing, that lo, twins are in her womb;

²⁸and it cometh to pass in her bearing, that one giveth out a hand, and the midwife taketh and bindeth on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, ‘This hath come out first.'

²⁹And it cometh to pass as he draweth back his hand, that lo, his brother hath come out, and she saith, ‘What! thou hast broken forth -- on thee is the breach;' and he calleth his name Pharez;

³⁰and afterwards hath his brother come out, on whose hand is the scarlet thread, and he calleth his name Zarah.

Genesis 39

¹And Joseph hath been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, head of the executioners, an Egyptian man, buyeth him out of the hands of the Ishmaelites who have brought him thither.

²And Jehovah is with Joseph, and he is a prosperous man, and he is in the house of his lord the Egyptian,

³and his lord seeth that Jehovah is with him, and all that he is doing Jehovah is causing to prosper in his hand,

⁴and Joseph findeth grace in his eyes and serveth him, and he appointeth him over his house, and all that he hath he hath given into his hand.

⁵And it cometh to pass from the time that he hath appointed him over his house, and over all that he hath, that Jehovah blesseth the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of Jehovah is on all that he hath, in the house, and in the field;

⁶and he leaveth all that he hath in the hand of Joseph, and he hath not known anything that he hath, except the bread which he is eating. And Joseph is of a fair form, and of a fair appearance.

⁷And it cometh to pass after these things, that his lord's wife lifteth up her eyes unto Joseph, and saith, ‘Lie with me;'

⁸and he refuseth, and saith unto his lord's wife, ‘Lo, my lord hath not known what is with me in the house, and all that he hath he hath given into my hand;

⁹none is greater in this house than I, and he hath not withheld from me anything, except thee, because thou art his wife; and how shall I do this great evil? -- then have I sinned against God.'

¹⁰And it cometh to pass at her speaking unto Joseph day by day, that he hath not hearkened unto her, to lie near her, to be with her;

¹¹and it cometh to pass about this day, that he goeth into the house to do his work, and there is none of the men of the house there in the house,

¹²and she catcheth him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me;' and he leaveth his garment in her hand, and fleeth, and goeth without.

¹³And it cometh to pass when she seeth that he hath left his garment in her hand, and fleeth without,

¹⁴that she calleth for the men of her house, and speaketh to them, saying, ‘See, he hath brought in to us a man, a Hebrew, to play with us; he hath come in unto me, to lie with me, and I call with a loud voice,

¹⁵and it cometh to pass, when he heareth that I have lifted up my voice and call, that he leaveth his garment near me, and fleeth, and goeth without.'

¹⁶And she placeth his garment near her, until the coming in of his lord unto his house.

¹⁷And she speaketh unto him according to these words, saying, ‘The Hebrew servant whom thou hast brought unto us, hath come in unto me to play with me;

¹⁸and it cometh to pass, when I lift my voice and call, that he leaveth his garment near me, and fleeth without.'

¹⁹And it cometh to pass when his lord heareth the words of his wife, which she hath spoken unto him, saying, ‘According to these things hath thy servant done to me,' that his anger burneth;

²⁰and Joseph's lord taketh him, and putteth him unto the round-house, a place where the king's prisoners are bound; and he is there in the round-house.

²¹And Jehovah is with Joseph, and stretcheth out kindness unto him, and putteth his grace in the eyes of the chief of the round-house;

²²and the chief of the round-house giveth into the hand of Joseph all the prisoners who are in the round-house, and of all that they are doing there, he hath been doer;

²³the chief of the round-house seeth not anything under his hand, because Jehovah is with him, and that which he is doing Jehovah is causing to prosper.

Genesis 40

¹And it cometh to pass, after these things -- the butler of the king of Egypt and the baker have sinned against their lord, against the king of Egypt;

²and Pharaoh is wroth against his two eunuchs, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers,

³and giveth them in charge in the house of the chief of the executioners, unto the round-house, the place where Joseph is a prisoner,

⁴and the chief of the executioners chargeth Joseph with them, and he serveth them; and they are days in charge.

⁵And they dream a dream both of them, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker whom the king of Egypt hath, who are prisoners in the round-house.

⁶And Joseph cometh in unto them in the morning, and seeth them, and lo, they are morose;

⁷and he asketh Pharaoh's eunuchs who are with him in charge in the house of his lord, saying, ‘Wherefore are your faces sad to-day?'

⁸And they say unto him, ‘A dream we have dreamed, and there is no interpreter of it;' and Joseph saith unto them, ‘Are not interpretations with God? recount, I pray you, to me.'

⁹And the chief of the butlers recounteth his dream to Joseph, and saith to him, ‘In my dream, then lo, a vine is before me!

¹⁰and in the vine are three branches, and it is as it were flourishing; gone up hath its blossom, its clusters have ripened grapes;

¹¹and Pharaoh's cup is in my hand, and I take the grapes and press them into the cup of Pharaoh, and I give the cup into the hand of Pharaoh.'

¹²And Joseph saith to him, ‘This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days;

¹³yet, within three days doth Pharaoh lift up thy head, and hath put thee back on thy station, and thou hast given the cup of Pharaoh into his hand, according to the former custom when thou wast his butler.

¹⁴‘Surely if thou hast remembered me with thee, when it is well with thee, and hast done (I pray thee) kindness with me, and hast made mention of me unto Pharaoh, then hast thou brought me out from this house,

¹⁵for I was really stolen from the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they have put me in the pit.'

¹⁶And the chief of the bakers seeth that he hath interpreted good, and he saith unto Joseph, ‘I also am in a dream, and lo, three baskets of white bread are on my head,

¹⁷and in the uppermost basket are of all kinds of Pharaoh's food, work of a baker; and the birds are eating them out of the basket, from off my head.'

¹⁸And Joseph answereth and saith, ‘This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;

¹⁹yet, within three days doth Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and hath hanged thee on a tree, and the birds have eaten thy flesh from off thee.'

²⁰And it cometh to pass, on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, that he maketh a banquet to all his servants, and lifteth up the head of the chief of the butlers, and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants,

²¹and he putteth back the chief of the butlers to his butlership, and he giveth the cup into the hand of Pharaoh;

²²and the chief of the bakers he hath hanged, as Joseph hath interpreted to them;

²³and the chief of the butlers hath not remembered Joseph, but forgetteth him.

Genesis 41

¹And it cometh to pass, at the end of two years of days that Pharaoh is dreaming, and lo, he is standing by the River,

²and lo, from the River coming up are seven kine, of fair appearance, and fat in flesh, and they feed among the reeds;

³and lo, seven other kine are coming up after them out of the River, of bad appearance, and lean in flesh, and they stand near the kine on the edge of the River,

⁴and the kine of bad appearance and lean in flesh eat up the seven kine of fair appearance, and fat -- and Pharaoh awaketh.

⁵And he sleepeth, and dreameth a second time, and lo, seven ears are coming up on one stalk, fat and good,

⁶and lo, seven ears, thin, and blasted with an east wind, are springing up after them;

⁷and the thin ears swallow the seven fat and full ears -- and Pharaoh awaketh, and lo, a dream.

⁸And it cometh to pass in the morning, that his spirit is moved, and he sendeth and calleth all the scribes of Egypt, and all its wise men, and Pharaoh recounteth to them his dream, and there is no interpreter of them to Pharaoh.

⁹And the chief of the butlers speaketh with Pharaoh, saying, ‘My sin I mention this day:

¹⁰Pharaoh hath been wroth against his servants, and giveth me into charge in the house of the chief of the executioners, me and the chief of the bakers;

¹¹and we dream a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we have dreamed.

¹²And there is with us a youth, a Hebrew, servant to the chief of the executioners, and we recount to him, and he interpreteth to us our dreams, to each according to his dream hath he interpreted,

¹³and it cometh to pass, as he hath interpreted to us so it hath been, me he put back on my station, and him he hanged.'

¹⁴And Pharaoh sendeth and calleth Joseph, and they cause him to run out of the pit, and he shaveth, and changeth his garments, and cometh in unto Pharaoh.

¹⁵And Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, ‘A dream I have dreamed, and there is no interpreter of it, and I -- I have heard concerning thee, saying, Thou understandest a dream to interpret it,'

¹⁶and Joseph answereth Pharaoh, saying, ‘Without me -- God doth answer Pharaoh with peace.'

¹⁷And Pharaoh speaketh unto Joseph: ‘In my dream, lo, I am standing by the edge of the River,

¹⁸and lo, out of the River coming up are seven kine, fat in flesh, and of fair form, and they feed among the reeds;

¹⁹and lo, seven other kine are coming up after them, thin, and of very bad form, and lean in flesh; I have not seen like these in all the land of Egypt for badness.

²⁰‘And the lean and the bad kine eat up the first seven fat kine,

²¹and they come in unto their midst, and it hath not been known that they have come in unto their midst, and their appearance is bad as at the commencement; and I awake.

²²‘And I see in my dream, and lo, seven ears are coming up on one stalk, full and good;

²³and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, blasted with an east wind, are springing up after them;

²⁴and the thin ears swallow the seven good ears; and I tell unto the scribes, and there is none declaring to me.'

²⁵And Joseph saith unto Pharaoh, ‘The dream of Pharaoh is one: that which God is doing he hath declared to Pharaoh;

²⁶the seven good kine are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years, the dream is one;

²⁷and the seven thin and bad kine which are coming up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears, blasted with an east wind, are seven years of famine;

²⁸this is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: That which God is doing, he hath shewn Pharaoh.

²⁹‘Lo, seven years are coming of great abundance in all the land of Egypt,

³⁰and seven years of famine have arisen after them, and all the plenty is forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine hath finished the land,

³¹and the plenty is not known in the land because of that famine afterwards, for it is very grievous.

³²‘And because of the repeating of the dream unto Pharaoh twice, surely the thing is established by God, and God is hastening to do it.

³³‘And now, let Pharaoh provide a man, intelligent and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt;

³⁴let Pharaoh make and appoint overseers over the land, and receive a fifth of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty,

³⁵and they gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and heap up corn under the hand of Pharaoh -- food in the cities; and they have kept it,

³⁶and the food hath been for a store for the land, for the seven years of famine which are in the land of Egypt; and the land is cut off by the famine.'

³⁷And the thing is good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants,

³⁸and Pharaoh saith unto his servants, ‘Do we find like this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?'

³⁹and Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, ‘After God's causing thee to know all this, there is none intelligent and wise as thou;

⁴⁰thou -- thou art over my house, and at thy mouth do all my people kiss; only in the throne I am greater than thou.'

⁴¹And Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, ‘See, I have put thee over all the land of Egypt.'

⁴²And Pharaoh turneth aside his seal-ring from off his hand, and putteth it on the hand of Joseph, and clotheth him with garments of fine linen, and placeth a chain of gold on his neck,

⁴³and causeth him to ride in the second chariot which he hath, and they proclaim before him, ‘Bow the knee!' and -- to put him over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁴And Pharaoh saith unto Joseph, ‘I am Pharaoh, and without thee a man doth not lift up his hand and his foot in all the land of Egypt;'

⁴⁵and Pharaoh calleth Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah, and he giveth to him Asenath daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, for a wife, and Joseph goeth out over the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶And Joseph is a son of thirty years in his standing before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and Joseph goeth out from the presence of Pharaoh, and passeth over through all the land of Egypt;

⁴⁷and the land maketh in the seven years of plenty by handfuls.

⁴⁸And he gathereth all the food of the seven years which have been in the land of Egypt, and putteth food in the cities; the food of the field which is round about each city hath he put in its midst;

⁴⁹and Joseph gathereth corn as sand of the sea, multiplying exceedingly, until that he hath ceased to number, for there is no number.

⁵⁰And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine cometh, whom Asenath daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On, hath borne to him,

⁵¹and Joseph calleth the name of the first-born Manasseh: ‘for, God hath made me to forget all my labour, and all the house of my father;'

⁵²and the name of the second he hath called Ephraim: ‘for, God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of mine affliction.'

⁵³And the seven years of plenty are completed which have been in the land of Egypt,

⁵⁴and the seven years of famine begin to come, as Joseph said, and famine is in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt hath been bread;

⁵⁵and all the land of Egypt is famished, and the people crieth unto Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh saith to all the Egyptians, ‘Go unto Joseph; that which he saith to you -- do.'

⁵⁶And the famine has been over all the face of the land, and Joseph openeth all places which have corn in them, and selleth to the Egyptians; and the famine is severe in the land of Egypt,

⁵⁷and all the earth hath come to Egypt, to buy, unto Joseph, for the famine was severe in all the earth.