She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with her so that she can bear children for me and I can have a family through her.”

Judah said, “Let her keep the things for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

After three months Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, and as a result she has become pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent seven years of famine.

He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us so that we may live and not die.”

You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!”

Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life!

So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

So tell my father about all my honor in Egypt and about everything you have seen. But bring my father down here quickly!”

After these things Joseph was told, “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has just come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women – for the Hebrew women are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!”

And now indeed the cry of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them.

and I said to you, ‘Let my son go that he may serve me,’ but since you have refused to let him go, I will surely kill your son, your firstborn!”’”

Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water. Position yourself to meet him by the edge of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was turned into a snake.

then the hand of the Lord will surely bring a very terrible plague on your livestock in the field, on the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.

So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.”

The stones were for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, corresponding to the number of their names. Each name corresponding to one of the twelve tribes was like the engravings of a seal.