Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah.

His master observed that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he was doing successful.

It happened just as he had said to us – Pharaoh restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.”

So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?”

But Joseph told them, “It is just as I said to you: You are spies!

The man did just as Joseph said; he brought the men into Joseph’s house.

So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.

He asked them how they were doing. Then he said, “Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?”

If one of us has it, he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves!”

These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen in all.

Any children that you father after them will be yours; they will be listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance.

Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power over Egypt.

But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread. As a result the Egyptians loathed the Israelites,

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,

So now go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you must say.”

You will also take in your hand this staff, with which you will do the signs.”

You go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because there will be no reduction at all in your workload.’”

The slave masters were pressuring them, saying, “Complete your work for each day, just like when there was straw!”

And Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.

Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.