NLT One Year Bible - Flipbook - Page 77
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has made me fruitful in this land of my
grief.”
53At last the seven years of bumper
crops throughout the land of Egypt came
to an end. 54Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted.
The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt
there was plenty of food. 55Eventually,
however, the famine spread throughout
the land of Egypt as well. And when the
people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he
told them, “Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you.” 56So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the
storehouses and distributed grain to the
Egyptians, for the famine was severe
throughout the land of Egypt. 57And people from all around came to Egypt to buy
grain from Joseph because the famine
was severe throughout the world.
42:1When Jacob heard that grain was
available in Egypt, he said to his sons,
“Why are you standing around looking
at one another? 2I have heard there is
grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy
enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.”
3 So Joseph’s ten older brothers went
down to Egypt to buy grain. 4But Jacob
wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother,
Benjamin, go with them, for fear some
harm might come to him. 5 So Jacob’s*
sons arrived in Egypt along with others
to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well.
6 Since Joseph was governor of all
Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all
the people, it was to him that his brothers
came. When they arrived, they bowed
before him with their faces to the
ground. 7 Joseph recognized his brothers
instantly, but he pretended to be a
stranger and spoke harshly to them.
“Where are you from?” he demanded.
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food.”
8 Although Joseph recognized his
brothers, they didn’t recognize him.
9And he remembered the dreams he’d
had about them many years before. He
J A N U A R Y
2 0
said to them, “You are spies! You have
come to see how vulnerable our land
has become.”
10 “No, my lord!” they exclaimed.
“Your servants have simply come to buy
food. 11We are all brothers—members
of the same family. We are honest men,
sir! We are not spies!”
12“Yes, you are!” Joseph insisted. “You
have come to see how vulnerable our
land has become.”
13“Sir,” they said, “there are actually
twelve of us. We, your servants, are all
brothers, sons of a man living in the land
of Canaan. Our youngest brother is back
there with our father right now, and one
of our brothers is no longer with us.”
14But Joseph insisted, “As I said, you
are spies! 15 This is how I will test your
story. I swear by the life of Pharaoh that
you will never leave Egypt unless your
youngest brother comes here! 16 One of
you must go and get your brother. I’ll
keep the rest of you here in prison. Then
we’ll find out whether or not your story
is true. By the life of Pharaoh, if it turns
out that you don’t have a younger
brother, then I’ll know you are spies.”
17So Joseph put them all in prison for
three days.
41:45a Zaphenath-paneah probably means “God speaks
and lives.” 41:45b Greek version reads of Heliopolis; also
in 41:50. 41:51 Manasseh sounds like a Hebrew term that
means “causing to forget.” 41:52 Ephraim sounds like a
Hebrew term that means “fruitful.” 42:5 Hebrew Israel’s.
See note on 35:21.
MATTHEW 13:24-46
Here is another story Jesus told: “The
Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who
planted good seed in his field. 25 But
that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among
the wheat, then slipped away. 26When
the crop began to grow and produce
grain, the weeds also grew.
27“The farmer’s workers went to him
and said, ‘Sir, the field where you
planted that good seed is full of weeds!
Where did they come from?’
28 “ ‘An enemy has done this!’ the
farmer exclaimed.
