They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment.

When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

“So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us – his very life is bound up in his son’s life.

Don’t worry about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt will be yours.’”

Then he sent his brothers on their way and they left. He said to them, “As you travel don’t be overcome with fear.”

Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. So they came to the land of Goshen.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.

You are destructive like water and will not excel, for you got on your father’s bed, then you defiled it – he got on my couch!

So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave these instructions before he died:

But Joseph answered them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?

He said to his people, “Look at the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are!

So when they came home to their father Reuel, he asked, “Why have you come home so early today?”

So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

You must say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Israel is my son, my firstborn,

The Israelite foremen went and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you treating your servants this way?

“Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt that he must release the Israelites from his land.”

So the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

Now Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to release the people.

And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. He did not pay any attention to this.