Miketz, מִקֵּץ

Passages

Torah: Genesis 42:19 - 43:15
Gospel: John 16:21 - 33

Torah — Genesis 42:19 - 43:15

42:19 If you are honest, let one of your brothers be kept in prison where you are now being kept, but the rest of you go, carry grain for the famine for your households.

42:20 You must bring your youngest brother to me, and then your words will be confirmed and you will not die.” And they did so.

42:21 Then each said to his brother, “Surely we are guilty on account of our brother when we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded for mercy to us and we would not listen. Therefore this trouble has come to us.”

42:22 Then Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not say to you, do not sin against the boy? But you did not listen, and now, behold, his blood has been sought.”

42:23 Now they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them.

42:24 And he turned away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and spoke to them, and took Simeon from them and tied him up in front of them.

42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to return their money to each sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them.

42:26 Then they loaded their grain upon their donkeys and went away from there.

42:27 And one of them later opened his sack to give fodder to his donkey at the lodging place and saw his money—behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

42:28 And he said to his brothers, “My money was returned and moreover, behold, it is in my sack!” Then their hearts failed them and each of them trembled and said, “What is this God has done to us?”

42:29 And when they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan they told him everything that had happened to them, saying,

42:30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as if we were spying out the land.

42:31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest; we are not spies.

42:32 We are twelve brothers, the sons of our father. One is no more and the youngest is with our father now in the land of Canaan.’

42:33 Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest. Leave one brother with me, and take food for the famine in your households and go.

42:34 And bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies but you are honest. And I will give your brother back to you, and you will trade in the land.’”

42:35 And it happened that when they emptied their sacks, behold, each one’s pouch of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw the pouches of their money, they were greatly distressed.

42:36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me—Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and Benjamin you would take! All of this is against me!

42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hand and I myself will return him to you.”

42:38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone remains. If harm meets him on the journey that you would take, you would bring down my gray head in sorrow to Sheol.”

43:1 Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt Now the famine in the land was severe.

43:2 And it happened that as they finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt their father said to them, “Return and buy a little food for us.”

43:3 Then Judah said to him, “The man solemnly admonished us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’

43:4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you,

43:5 but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

43:6 Then Israel said, “Why did you bring trouble to me by telling the man you still had a brother?”

43:7 And they said, “The man asked explicitly about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother?’ And we answered him according to these words. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring down your brother’?”

43:8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and let us arise and go, so that we will live and not die—you, we, and our children.

43:9 I myself will be surety for him. You may seek him from my hand. If I do not bring him back to you and present him before you, then I will stand guilty before you forever.

43:10 Surely if we had not hesitated by this time we would have returned twice.”

43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so then do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, and pistachios and almonds.

43:12 And take double the money in your hands. Take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.

43:13 And take your brother. Now arise and return to the man.

43:14 And may El-Shaddai grant you compassion before the man that he may release your other brother to you and Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

43:15 So the men took this gift, and they took double money in their hands, and Benjamin, and they rose up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

42:19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison. The rest of you may go and take grain back to your hungry families.

42:20 “But you must bring your youngest brother to me. That will prove that your words are true. Then you won’t die.” So they did what he said.

42:21 They said to one another, “God is certainly punishing us because of our brother. We saw how troubled he was when he begged us to let him live. But we wouldn’t listen. That’s why all of this trouble has come to us.”

42:22 Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we’re being held accountable for killing him.”

42:23 They didn’t realize that Joseph could understand what they were saying. He was using someone else to explain their words to him in the Egyptian language.

42:24 Joseph turned away from them and began to sob. Then he turned around and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken and tied up right there in front of them.

42:25 Joseph gave orders to have their bags filled with grain. He had each man’s money put back into his sack. He also made sure they were given food for their journey.

42:26 Then the brothers loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

42:27 When night came, they stopped. One of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey. He saw his money in the top of his sack.

42:28 “My money has been given back,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.” They had a sinking feeling in their hearts. They began to tremble. They turned to each other and said, “What has God done to us?”

42:29 They came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him everything that had happened to them. They said,

42:30 “The man who is the governor of the land spoke to us in a mean way. He treated us as if we were spying on the land.

42:31 But we said to him, ‘We’re honest men. We aren’t spies.

42:32 We were 12 brothers. All of us were the sons of one father. But now one brother is gone. And our youngest brother is with our father in Canaan.’

42:33 “Then the man who is the governor of the land spoke to us. He said, ‘Here’s how I will know whether you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me. Take food for your hungry families and go.

42:34 “‘But bring your youngest brother to me. Then I’ll know that you are honest men and not spies. I’ll give your brother back to you. And you will be free to trade in the land.’”

42:35 They began emptying their sacks. There in each man’s sack was his bag of money! When they and their father saw the money bags, they were afraid.

42:36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have taken my children away from me. Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”

42:37 Then Reuben spoke to his father. He said, “You can put both of my sons to death if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. Place him in my care. I’ll bring him back.”

42:38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you. His brother is dead. He’s the only one left here with me. Suppose he’s harmed on the journey you are taking. Then I would die as a sad old man. I would go down into the grave full of sorrow.”

43:1 Joseph’s Brothers Go Down to Egypt Again There still wasn’t enough food anywhere in the land.

43:2 After a while Jacob’s family had eaten all of the grain the brothers had brought from Egypt. So their father said to them, “Go back. Buy us a little more food.”

43:3 But Judah said to him, “The man gave us a strong warning. He said, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother comes with you.’

43:4 So send our brother along with us. Then we’ll go down and buy food for you.

43:5 “If you won’t send him, we won’t go down. The man said to us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother comes with you.’”

43:6 Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble to me? Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”

43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ “We just answered his questions. How could we possibly know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”

43:8 Judah spoke to Israel his father. “Send the boy along with me,” he said. “We’ll go at once. Then we and you and our children will live and not die.

43:9 “I myself promise to keep him safe. You can hold me accountable for him. I’ll bring him back to you. I’ll set him right here in front of you. If I don’t, you can put the blame on me for the rest of my life.

43:10 “As it is, we’ve already waited too long. We could have gone to Egypt and back twice by now.”

43:11 Then their father Israel spoke to them. He said, “If that’s the way it has to be, then do what I tell you. Put some of the best things from our land in your bags. Take them down to the man as a gift. Take some lotion and a little honey. Take some spices and myrrh. Take some pistachio nuts and almonds.

43:12 Take twice the amount of money with you. You have to give back the money that was put in your sacks. Maybe it was a mistake.

43:13 “Also take your brother. Go back to the man at once.

43:14 May the Mighty God cause him to show you mercy. May the man let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. And if I lose my sons, I lose them.”

43:15 So the men took the gifts. They took twice the amount of money. They also took Benjamin. They hurried down to Egypt and went to Joseph.

Gospel — John 16:21 - 33

16:21 A woman, when she gives birth, experiences pain because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the affliction, on account of the joy that a human being has been born into the world.

16:22 So you also are experiencing sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.

16:23 And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

16:25 Jesus’ Victory Over the World “I have said these things to you in figurative sayings. An hour is coming when I will speak to you in figurative sayings no longer, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

16:26 On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf.

16:27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

16:28 I have gone out from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.”

16:29 His disciples said, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly and are telling us no figurative saying!

16:30 Now we know that you know everything and do not need for anyone to ask you questions. By this we believe that you have come from God.”

16:31 Jesus replied to them, “Now do you believe?

16:32 Behold, an hour is coming—and has come—that you will be scattered each one to his own home, and you will leave me alone. And I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

16:33 I have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.”

16:21 “A woman giving birth to a baby has pain. This is because her time to give birth has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain. She forgets because she is so happy that a baby has been born into the world.

16:22 “That’s the way it is with you. Now it’s your time to be sad. But I will see you again. Then you will be full of joy. And no one will take your joy away.

16:23 “When that day comes, you will no longer ask me for anything. What I’m about to tell you is true. My Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.

16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive what you ask for. Then your joy will be complete.

16:25 “I have not been speaking to you plainly. But a time is coming when I will speak clearly. Then I will tell you plainly about my Father.

16:26 When that day comes, you will ask for things in my name. I am not saying I will ask the Father instead of you asking him.

16:27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me. He also loves you because you have believed that I came from God.

16:28 “I came from the Father and entered the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

16:29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking plainly. You are using examples that are clear.

16:30 Now we can see that you know everything. You don’t even need anyone to ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

16:31 “At last you believe!” Jesus said.

16:32 “But a time is coming when you will be scattered and go to your own homes. In fact, that time is already here. You will leave me all alone. But I am not really alone. My Father is with me.

16:33 “I have told you these things, so that you can have peace because of me. In this world you will have trouble. But cheer up! I have won the battle over the world.”

Passages

Torah — Genesis 42:19 - 43:15

LEB translation

NIRV translation

Gospel — John 16:21 - 33

LEB translation

NIRV translation