Genesis 39-41 - Prayer Tents

Genesis 39

Joseph in Potiphar’s House

39When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.H3130H3381H4714H6318H5631H6547H8269H2876H376H4713H7069H3027H3459H33812The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.H3068H3130H6743H376H1004H113H47133Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.H113H7200H3068H3068H6213H6743H30274This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.H3130H4672H2580H5869H8334H6485H1004H3426H5414H30275From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master's household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar's household for Joseph's sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished.H227H6485H1004H3426H3068H1288H4713H1004H3130H1558H1293H3068H3426H1004H77046So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn't worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat! Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man,H5800H3130H3027H3045H3972H518H3899H398H3130H8389H3303H47587and Potiphar's wife soon began to look at him lustfully. "Come and sleep with me," she demanded.H310H1697H113H802H5375H5869H3130H559H79018But Joseph refused. "Look," he told her, "my master trusts me with everything in his entire household.H3985H559H113H802H113H3045H1004H5414H3426H30279No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God."H1419H1004H3808H2820H3972H834H859H802H6213H1419H7451H2398H43010She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.H1696H3130H3117H3117H8085H7901H68111One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work.H3117H935H1004H6213H4399H376H582H100412She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, "Come on, sleep with me!" Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.H8610H899H559H7901H5800H899H3027H5127H3318H235113When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled,H7200H5800H899H3027H5127H235114she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. "Look!" she said. "My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed.H7121H582H1004H559H559H7200H935H376H5680H6711H935H7901H7121H1419H696315When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me."H8085H7311H6963H7121H5800H899H681H5127H3318H235116She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home.H3240H899H681H113H935H100417Then she told him her story. "That Hebrew slave you've brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me," she said.H1696H1697H559H5680H5650H935H935H671118"But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!"H7311H6963H7121H5800H899H681H5127H2351

Joseph Put in Prison

19Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife's story about how Joseph had treated her.H113H8085H1697H802H1696H559H1697H6213H5650H639H273420So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king's prisoners were held, and there he remained.H3130H113H3947H5414H1004H5470H4725H4428H615H631H1004H547021But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.H3068H3130H5186H2617H5414H2580H5869H8269H1004H547022Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison.H8269H1004H5470H5414H3130H3027H615H1004H5470H6213H621323The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.H8269H1004H5470H7200H3972H3027H3068H6213H3068H6743

Genesis 40

Joseph Interprets Two Dreams

40Some time later, Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master.H310H1697H8248H4428H4714H644H2398H113H4428H47142Pharaoh became angry with these two officials,H6547H7107H5921H8147H5631H8269H8248H8269H6443and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard.H5414H4929H1004H8269H2876H1004H5470H4725H3130H6314They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them.H8269H2876H6485H3130H8334H3117H49295While they were in prison, Pharaoh's cup-bearer and baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning.H2492H2472H8147H376H2472H259H3915H376H6623H2472H8248H644H4428H4714H631H1004H54706When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset.H3130H935H1242H7200H21967"Why do you look so worried today?" he asked them.H7592H6547H5631H4929H113H1004H559H6440H7451H31178And they replied, "We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean." "Interpreting dreams is God's business," Joseph replied. "Go ahead and tell me your dreams."H559H2492H2472H6622H3130H559H6623H430H56089So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream first. "In my dream," he said, "I saw a grapevine in front of me.H8269H8248H5608H2472H3130H559H2472H1612H644010The vine had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon it produced clusters of ripe grapes.H1612H7969H8299H6524H5322H5927H811H1310H602511I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup in my hand, so I took a cluster of grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."H6547H3563H3027H3947H6025H7818H6547H3563H5414H3563H6547H370912"This is what the dream means," Joseph said. "The three branches represent three days.H3130H559H6623H7969H8299H7969H311713Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer.H5750H7969H3117H6547H5375H7218H7725H3653H5414H6547H3563H3027H7223H4941H824814And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.H2142H3190H6213H2617H2142H6547H3318H100415For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I'm here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it."H1589H776H5680H6213H3972H7760H95316When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head.H8269H644H7200H6622H2896H559H3130H637H2472H7969H2751H5536H721817The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head."H5945H5536H3978H4639H644H6547H5775H398H5536H5921H721818"This is what the dream means," Joseph told him. "The three baskets also represent three days.H3130H6030H559H6623H7969H5536H7969H311719Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh."H7969H3117H6547H5375H7218H8518H6086H5775H398H132020Pharaoh's birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned

his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials.H7992H3117H6547H3117H3205H6213H4960H5650H5375H7218H8269H8248H8269H644H8432H565021He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup.H7725H8269H8248H4945H7725H5414H3563H6547H370922But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream.H8518H8269H644H3130H662223Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.H8269H8248H2142H3130H7911

Genesis 41

Pharaoh’s Dreams

41Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.H7093H3117H8141H6547H2492H5975H29752In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.H5927H2975H7651H3303H4758H6510H1277H1320H7462H2603Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank.H7651H312H6510H5927H310H2975H7451H4758H1851H1320H5975H681H6510H8193H29754Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.H7451H4758H1851H1320H6510H398H7651H3303H4758H1277H6510H6547H33645But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk.H3462H2492H8145H7651H7641H5927H259H7070H1277H28966Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind.H7651H1851H7641H7710H6921H6779H3107And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.H1851H7641H1104H7651H1277H4392H7641H6547H3364H24728The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.H1242H7307H6470H7971H7121H2748H4714H2450H6547H5608H2472H6622H65479Finally, the king's chief cup-bearer spoke up. "Today I have been reminded of my failure," he told Pharaoh.H1696H8269H8248H6547H559H2142H2399H311710"Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard.H6547H7107H5650H5414H4929H8269H2876H1004H8269H64411One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning.H2492H2472H259H3915H2492H376H6623H247212There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant.H5288H5680H5650H8269H2876H5608H6622H2472H376H2472H662213And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole."H6622H7725H3653H851814Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh.H6547H7971H7121H3130H7323H953H1548H2498H8071H935H654715Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it."H6547H559H3130H2492H2472H6622H8085H559H8085H2472H662216"It is beyond my power to do this," Joseph replied. "But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease."H3130H6030H6547H559H1107H430H6030H6547H6030H796517So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. "In my dream," he said, "I was standing on the bank of the Nile River,H6547H1696H3130H2472H5975H8193H297518and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass.H5927H2975H7651H6510H1277H1320H3303H8389H7462H26019But then I saw seven sick-looking cows, scrawny and thin, come up after them. I've never seen such sorry-looking animals in all the land of Egypt.H7651H312H6510H5927H310H1803H3966H7451H8389H7534H1320H2007H3808H7200H776H4714H745520These thin, scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows.H7534H7451H6510H398H7223H7651H1277H651021But afterward you wouldn't have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up.H935H7130H3045H935H7130H4758H7451H8462H336422"Then I fell asleep again, and I had another dream. This time I saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk.H7200H2472H7651H7641H5927H259H7070H4392H289623Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind.H7651H7641H6798H1851H7710H6921H6779H31024And the shriveled heads swallowed the seven healthy heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but no one could tell me what they mean."H1851H7641H1104H7651H2896H7641H559H2748H504625Joseph responded, "Both of Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.H3130H559H6547H2472H6547H259H430H5046H6547H621326The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity.H7651H2896H6510H7651H8141H7651H2896H7641H7651H8141H2472H25927The seven thin, scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represent seven years of famine.H7651H7534H7451H6510H5927H310H7651H8141H7651H7386H7641H7710H6921H7651H8141H745828"This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.H1697H1696H6547H430H6213H7200H654729The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt.H935H7651H8141H1419H7647H776H471430But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land.H6965H310H7651H8141H7458H7647H7911H776H4714H7458H3615H77631This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased.H7647H3045H776H6440H7458H310H3651H3966H351532As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.H2472H8138H6547H6471H1697H3559H5973H430H430H4116H621333"Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt.H6547H7200H376H995H2450H7896H776H471434Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years.H6547H6213H6485H6496H776H2567H776H4714H7651H7647H814135Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh's storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities.H6908H400H2896H8141H935H6651H1250H3027H6547H8104H400H589236That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land."H400H6487H776H7651H8141H7458H776H4714H776H3772H7458

Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt

37Joseph's suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials.H1697H3190H5869H6547H5869H565038So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?"H6547H559H5650H4672H2088H376H834H7307H43039Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are.H6547H559H3130H310H430H3045H995H245040You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours."H1961H1004H6310H5971H5401H3678H143141Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt."H6547H559H3130H7200H5414H776H471442Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck.H6547H5493H2885H3027H5414H3130H3027H3847H899H8336H7760H2091H7242H667743Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, "Kneel down!" So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt.H7392H4932H4818H7121H6440H86H5414H776H471444And Pharaoh said to him, "I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval."H6547H559H3130H6547H1107H376H7311H3027H7272H776H471445Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah

. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt.H6547H7121H3130H8034H6847H5414H802H621H1323H6319H3548H204H3130H3318H776H471446He was thirty years old when he began serving in the court of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And when Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt.H3130H7970H8141H1121H5975H6440H6547H4428H4714H3130H3318H6440H6547H5674H776H471447As predicted, for seven years the land produced bumper crops.H7651H7647H8141H776H6213H706248During those years, Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the cities.H6908H400H7651H8141H776H4714H5414H400H5892H400H7704H5439H5892H5414H843249He piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore. Finally, he stopped keeping records because there was too much to measure.H3130H6651H1250H2344H3220H3966H7235H2308H5608H369H455750During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On.H3130H3205H8147H1121H8141H7458H935H621H1323H6319H3548H204H320551Joseph named his older son Manasseh

, for he said, "God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father's family."H3130H7121H8034H1060H4519H430H5382H5999H1H100452Joseph named his second son Ephraim

, for he said, "God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief."H8034H8145H7121H669H430H6509H776H604053At last the seven years of bumper crops throughout the land of Egypt came to an end.H7651H8141H7647H776H4714H361554Then 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.H7651H8141H7458H2490H935H3130H559H7458H776H776H4714H389955Eventually, 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."H776H4714H7456H5971H6817H6547H3899H6547H559H4714H3212H3130H559H621356So 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.H7458H6440H776H3130H6605H7666H4714H7458H2388H776H471457And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.H776H935H4714H3130H7666H7458H2388H776