Genesis 41

• 1. When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile,
• 2. when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds.
• 3. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank.
• 4. And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
• 5. He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk.
• 6. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted-thin and scorched by the east wind.
• 7. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.
• 8. In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
• 9. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.
• 10. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.
• 11. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
• 12. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.
• 13. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged. "
• 14. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.
• 15. Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."
• 16. "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."
• 17. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
• 18. when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.
• 19. After them, seven other cows came up-scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.
• 20. The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first.
• 21. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.
• 22. "In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk.
• 23. After them, seven other heads sprouted-withered and thin and scorched by the east wind.
• 24. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it to me."
• 25. Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
• 26. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream.
• 27. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
• 28. "It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.
• 29. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,
• 30. but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.
• 31. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.
• 32. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
• 33. "And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.
• 34. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
• 35. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food.
• 36. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine."
• 37. The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.
• 38. So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?"
• 39. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.
• 40. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."
• 41. So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt."
• 42. Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
• 43. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
• 44. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt."
• 45. Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
• 46. Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt.
• 47. During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.
• 48. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it.
• 49. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
• 50. Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
• 51. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household."
• 52. The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."
• 53. The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end,
• 54. and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.
• 55. When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you."
• 56. When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt.
• 57. And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.

Mark 12

• 1. He then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.
• 2. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
• 3. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
• 4. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.
• 5. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
• 6. "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'
• 7. "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
• 8. So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
• 9. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
• 10. Haven't you read this scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
• 11. the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"
• 12. Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
• 13. Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.
• 14. They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
• 15. Should we pay or shouldn't we?"
• 16. But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?Caesar's," they replied.
• 17. Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.
• 18. Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.
• 19. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.
• 20. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.
• 21. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.
• 22. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.
• 23. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"
• 24. Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
• 25. When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
• 26. Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?
• 27. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"
• 28. One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
• 29. "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
• 30. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
• 31. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
• 32. "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.
• 33. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
• 34. When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
• 35. While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David?
• 36. David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."'
• 37. David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with delight.
• 38. As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces,
• 39. and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
• 40. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
• 41. Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.
• 42. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
• 43. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
• 44. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."

Job 8

• 1. Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
• 2. "How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind.
• 3. Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
• 4. When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.
• 5. But if you will look to God and plead with the Almighty,
• 6. if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place.
• 7. Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.
• 8. "Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned,
• 9. for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow.
• 10. Will they not instruct you and tell you? Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?
• 11. Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water?
• 12. While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass.
• 13. Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless.
• 14. What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider's web.
• 15. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.
• 16. He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden;
• 17. it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks and looks for a place among the stones.
• 18. But when it is torn from its spot, that place disowns it and says, 'I never saw you.'
• 19. Surely its life withers away, and from the soil other plants grow.
• 20. "Surely God does not reject a blameless man or strengthen the hands of evildoers.
• 21. He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
• 22. Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tents of the wicked will be no more."

New International Version

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