But seven years of famine will occur<n id="1" /> after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate<n id="2" /> the land.

Pharaoh should do<n id="1" /> this &#8211; he should appoint<n id="2" /> officials<n id="3" /> throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt<n id="4" /> during the seven years of abundance.

They should gather all the excess food<n id="1" /> during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh&#8217;s authority<n id="2" /> they should store up grain so the cities will have food,<n id="3" /> and they should preserve it.<n id="4" />

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, &#8220;Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning<n id="1" /> as you are!

Pharaoh also said to Joseph, &#8220;I am Pharaoh, but without your permission<n id="1" /> no one<n id="2" /> will move his hand or his foot<n id="3" /> in all the land of Egypt.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">While the famine was over all the earth,<n id="1" /> Joseph opened the storehouses<n id="2" /> and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt.

But Jacob did not send Joseph&#8217;s brother Benjamin with his brothers,<n id="1" /> for he said,<n id="2" /> &#8220;What if some accident<n id="3" /> happens<n id="4" /> to him?&#8221;

They replied, &#8220;Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers.<n id="1" /> We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time,<n id="2" /> and one is no longer alive.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again,<n id="1" /> he had Simeon taken<n id="2" /> from them and tied up<n id="3" /> before their eyes.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Joseph gave orders to fill<n id="1" /> their bags with grain, to return each man&#8217;s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying,

We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father.<n id="1" /> One is no longer alive,<n id="2" /> and the youngest is with our father at this time<n id="3" /> in the land of Canaan.&#8217;p>

<p class="bodytext">When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man&#8217;s bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid.

When they finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, &#8220;Return, buy us a little more food.&#8221;p>

May the sovereign God<n id="1" /> grant you mercy before the man so that he may release<n id="2" /> your other brother<n id="3" /> and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt<n id="1" /> and stood before Joseph.

But when we came to the place where we spent the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found his money &#8211; the full amount<n id="1" /> &#8211; in the mouth of his sack. So we have returned it.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">The servant in charge<n id="1" /> brought the men into Joseph&#8217;s house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys.

They got their gifts ready for Joseph&#8217;s arrival<n id="1" /> at noon, for they had heard<n id="2" /> that they were to have a meal<n id="3" /> there.p>

<p class="bodytext">When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside,<n id="1" /> and they bowed down to the ground before him.