Genesis 37 Cross References - ISV

¹ Joseph’s Life before His CaptivityJacob continued to live in the land they were occupying, where his father had journeyed in the territory of Canaan. ² This is a record of Jacob’s descendants.
When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was helping his brothers tend their flocks. He was a young man at that time, as were the children of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. But Joseph would come back and tell his father that his brothers were doing bad things. ³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his brothers, since he was born to him in his old age, so he had made a richly-embroidered tunic for him. ⁴ When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father loved him more than all of his brothers, they hated him so much that they were unable to speak politely to him.
⁵ Joseph’s DreamsRight about this time, Joseph had a dream and then told it to his brothers. As a result, his brothers hated him all the more! ⁶ “Let me tell you about this dream that I had!” he said. ⁷ “We were tying sheaves together out in the middle of the fields, when all of a sudden, my sheaf stood up erect! And then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf!”
⁸ At this, his brothers replied, “Do you really think you’re going to rule us or lord it over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his interpretations of them.
⁹ But then he had another dream, and he proceeded to tell his brothers about that one, too. “I had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven of the stars were bowing down before me!”
¹⁰ When Joseph told his father about this, his father rebuked him and asked him, “What kind of dream is that? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come to you and bow down to the ground in front of you?” ¹¹ As a result, his brothers became more envious of him. But his father kept thinking about all of this.
¹² Joseph is Sent to Visit His BrothersSome time later, his brothers left to tend their father’s flock in Shechem. ¹³ And Israel instructed Joseph, “Your brothers are tending the flock in Shechem. Come here, because I’m going to send you to them.”
“Here I am!” he responded.
¹⁴ “Go and see how things are with your brothers,” Israel ordered him. “And see how things are with the flock. Bring back a report for me.” Then he sent Joseph from the valley of Hebron.
When Joseph reached Shechem, ¹⁵ a man found him wandering around in a field. So the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
¹⁶ “I’m searching for my brothers,” he responded. “Tell me, where are they tending the flock?”
¹⁷ “They’ve already left,” the man answered. “I heard them saying that they were headed to Dothan.” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.
¹⁸ Joseph’s Brothers Plot to Kill HimNow as soon as they saw him approaching from a distance, before he arrived they plotted together to kill him. ¹⁹ “Look!” they said. “Here comes the Dream Master! ²⁰ Come on! Let’s kill him and toss him into one of the cisterns. Then we’ll report that some wild animal devoured him and wait to see what becomes of his dreams!”
²¹ When Reuben heard about it, he tried to save Joseph from their plot. “Let’s not do any killing,” ²² Reuben told them. “And no blood shedding, either. Instead, let’s toss him into this cistern that’s way out here in the wilderness. But don’t lay a hand on him.” (Reuben intended to free Joseph and return him to his father.)
²³ Joseph is Sold into SlaveryAs it was, when Joseph arrived where his brothers were, they stripped off the tunic that Jacob had given him—that is, the richly-embroidered tunic that he was wearing. ²⁴ They grabbed him and tossed him into the cistern, but the cistern was empty. (There was no water in it.) ²⁵ After this, while they were seated, eating their food, they looked around and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with camels carrying spices, balm, and myrrh for sale down in Egypt.
²⁶ Then Judah suggested to his brothers, “Where’s the profit in just killing our brother and shedding his blood? ²⁷ Come on! Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites! That way, we won’t have laid our hands on him. After all, he’s our brother, our own flesh.”
So Judah’s brothers listened to him. ²⁸ As the Midianite merchants were passing through, they extracted Joseph from the cistern and sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who then took Joseph down to Egypt.
²⁹ Later, when Reuben returned to the cistern, Joseph wasn’t there! In mounting panic, he tore his clothes, ³⁰ returned to his brothers, and shouted, “He’s not there! Now what? Where am I to go?”
³¹ So they took Joseph’s coat, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. ³² Then they stretched out the richly-embroidered tunic to dry, and brought it to their father.
“We’ve found this,” they reported. “Look at it and see if this is or isn’t your son’s tunic.”
³³ Examining it, he cried out, “It’s my son’s tunic! A wild animal has no doubt torn Joseph to pieces.”
³⁴ So Jacob tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and then mourned many days for his son. ³⁵ All his sons and daughters showed up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He kept saying, “Leave me alone! I’ll go down to the next world, still mourning for my son.” So Joseph’s father wept for him.
³⁶ Joseph is Enslaved to PotipharMeanwhile, down in Egypt, the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials, who was also Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards.

⁸ I’ll give to you and to your descendants the land to which you have traveled—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession. I will be their God.”

⁴ “I am an alien and an outsider among you. Give me a cemetery among you where I can bury my dead away from my presence.”

⁴ May he give you and your descendants the blessings that he gave Abraham. May you possess the land where you have lived that God gave to Abraham.”

⁷ because their holdings were too vast to allow them to stay together, since the land where they had settled was not able to support all of their livestock.

⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who also inherited the same promise, ¹⁰ because he was waiting for the city with permanent foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
¹¹ By faith Sarah, even though she was old and barren, received the strength to conceive, because she was convinced that the one who had made the promise was faithful. ¹² Abraham was as good as dead, yet from this one man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
¹³ All these people died having faith. They did not receive the things that were promised, yet they saw them in the distant future and welcomed them, acknowledging that they were strangers and foreigners on earth. ¹⁴ For people who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking about what they had left behind, they would have had an opportunity to go back. ¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared a city for them.

⁴ Humans in the GardenThese are the records of the universe at its creation. On the day that the LORD God made the earth and skies,

¹ From Adam to NoahThis is the historical record of Adam’s generations. When God created mankind, he made them in his own likeness.

⁹ Noah Obeys GodThese are the family records of Noah: Noah was a righteous man. Blameless during his times, Noah communed with God.

¹ Descendants and Nations from NoahThese are the records of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, to whom descendants were born after the flood.

⁴ So Rachel gave Jacob her woman servant Bilhah to be his wife, and Jacob had sex with her.

⁹ When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her woman servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.

²² But while Israel lived in that land, Reuben went inside his father’s tent and had sexual relations with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob had twelve sons.

²⁵ Rachel’s servant Bilhah’s sons were Dan and Naphtali. ²⁶ Leah’s servant Zilpah’s sons were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons who were born to him while he lived in Paddan-aram.

²² Judgment against Eli’s SonsNow Eli was very old, and he had heard everything that his sons were doing to the Israelis, and how they lay with the women who were serving regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ²³ “Why are you doing these things that I’m hearing about?” he asked his sons, “These reports about your evil deeds are coming from all these people! ²⁴ No, my sons, I’m not hearing good news being circulated by the LORD’s people.

⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its actions are evil.

¹¹ My brothers, some members of Chloe’s family have made it clear to me that there are quarrels among you.

¹ Disciplining for Sexual ImmoralityIt is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, and of a kind that is not found even among the gentiles. A man is actually living with his father’s wife!

¹⁸ For in the first place, I hear that when you gather as a church there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it.

²³ Joseph is Sold into SlaveryAs it was, when Joseph arrived where his brothers were, they stripped off the tunic that Jacob had given him—that is, the richly-embroidered tunic that he was wearing.

³² Then they stretched out the richly-embroidered tunic to dry, and brought it to their father.
“We’ve found this,” they reported. “Look at it and see if this is or isn’t your son’s tunic.”

²⁰ and we answered Your Excellency, ‘We have an aged father and a younger child who was born when he was old. His brother is now dead, so he’s the only surviving son of his mother. His father loves him.’
²¹ “But then you ordered your servants, ‘Bring him here to me so I can see him for myself.’ ²² So we told Your Excellency, ‘The young man cannot leave his father, because if he were to do so, his father would die.’ ²³ But then you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes back with you, you won’t see my face again.’ ²⁴ Later on, after we had gone back to your servant, my father, we told him what Your Excellency had said.
²⁵ “‘Go back,’ our father ordered, ‘and buy us a little food.’
²⁶ “But we told him, ‘We can’t go back there. If our youngest brother accompanies us, we’ll go back, but we cannot see the man’s face again unless our youngest brother accompanies us.’
²⁷ “Then your servant, our father, told us, ‘You know my wife bore me two sons. ²⁸ One of them left me, so I concluded “I’m certain that he has been torn to pieces,” and I haven’t seen him since then. ²⁹ If you take this one from me, too, and then something harmful happens to him, then it will be death for me and my sad, gray hair!’
³⁰ “So when I go back to your servant, my father, and the young man isn’t with us, since he’s constantly living life focused on his son,

³⁰ ‘They’re busy finding and dividing the war booty, aren’t they? A girl or two for each valiant warrior, and some dyed materials for Sisera— perhaps dyed, embroidered war booty— or some detailed embroidery for my neck as the booty of war!

¹⁸ Now she was clothed in a long sleeved, multi-colored ornamental tunic, commonly worn by the king’s virgin daughters. When Amnon’s servant threw her out and locked the door after her,

¹³ In her chamber, the king’s daughter is glorious; her clothing is embroidered with gold thread. ¹⁴ In embroidered garments she is presented to the king. Her virgin companions who follow her train will be presented to you.

¹⁶ You took some of your clothes and made gaily-colored high places and prostituted yourself all around them—something which had never happened before nor will ever happen again.

³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands.

²² The disciples began looking at one another, completely mystified about whom he was speaking. ²³ One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus kept loving, had been sitting very close to him.

⁵ but he did not look favorably upon Cain and his offering.
When Cain became very upset and depressed,

⁴¹ So Esau harbored animosity toward Jacob because of the way his father had blessed him. Esau kept saying to himself, “The time to mourn for my father is very near. That’s when I’m going to kill my brother Jacob.”

⁵ Joseph’s DreamsRight about this time, Joseph had a dream and then told it to his brothers. As a result, his brothers hated him all the more!

¹¹ As a result, his brothers became more envious of him. But his father kept thinking about all of this.

¹⁸ Joseph’s Brothers Plot to Kill HimNow as soon as they saw him approaching from a distance, before he arrived they plotted together to kill him. ¹⁹ “Look!” they said. “Here comes the Dream Master! ²⁰ Come on! Let’s kill him and toss him into one of the cisterns. Then we’ll report that some wild animal devoured him and wait to see what becomes of his dreams!”
²¹ When Reuben heard about it, he tried to save Joseph from their plot. “Let’s not do any killing,” ²² Reuben told them. “And no blood shedding, either. Instead, let’s toss him into this cistern that’s way out here in the wilderness. But don’t lay a hand on him.” (Reuben intended to free Joseph and return him to his father.)
²³ Joseph is Sold into SlaveryAs it was, when Joseph arrived where his brothers were, they stripped off the tunic that Jacob had given him—that is, the richly-embroidered tunic that he was wearing. ²⁴ They grabbed him and tossed him into the cistern, but the cistern was empty. (There was no water in it.)

²³ Even though enemies attacked him, shooting at him and pursuing him viciously,

¹² So he sent and brought him. He had a dark, healthy complexion, with beautiful eyes, and he was handsome. The LORD said, “Get up and anoint him, for this is the one.”
¹³ God’s Spirit Comes on David and Departs from SaulThen Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD came on David from that day forward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.

²⁸ Eliab his oldest brother heard him talking to the men. Eliab was angry with David and said, “Why did you come down here? And who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your insolence and wicked intentions. You came down just to see the battle!”

¹⁹ But my enemies are alive and well; those who hate me for no reason are numerous.

⁴ Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head. My persecutors are mighty, and they want to destroy me. Must I be forced to return what I did not steal?

³ So his brothers told him, “You should leave this place and go to Judea, so that your disciples can see the actions that you’re doing, ⁴ since no one acts in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you’re going to do these things, you should reveal yourself to the world!” ⁵ Not even his brothers believed in him.

¹⁸ The World’s Hatred“If the world hates you, you should realize that it hated me before you. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as one of its own. But because you do not belong to the world and I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.

³ After all, we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and misled. We were slaves to many kinds of lusts and pleasures, spending our days in malice and jealousy. We were despised, and we hated one another.

¹¹ But the person who hates his brother is in the darkness and lives in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹⁰ This is how God’s children and the devil’s children are distinguished. No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God.

¹² Do not be like Cain, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because what he was doing was evil and his brother’s actions were righteous.

²⁰ Whoever says, “I love God,” but hates his brother is a liar. The one who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love the God whom he has not seen.

¹² when he had a dream! He saw a raised highway that had been built with its ending point on earth and its beginning point in heaven. God’s angels were ascending and descending on it.

⁴ When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father loved him more than all of his brothers, they hated him so much that they were unable to speak politely to him.

⁸ At this, his brothers replied, “Do you really think you’re going to rule us or lord it over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his interpretations of them.

⁵ Then the two of them each had a dream. They both had their dreams the same night, and there were separate interpretations for each dream—the senior security advisor and the head chef to the king of Egypt, who had confined them in prison.

¹ Pharaoh’s DreamTwo years later—to the day—Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River,

⁹ Furthermore, Joseph remembered the dreams that he had about them. So he accused them, “You’re spies! You’ve come here to spy on our undefended territories!”

⁶ Then he told the two of them: “Pay attention to what I have to say! When there is a prophet among you, won’t I, the LORD, reveal myself to him in a vision? Won’t I speak with him in a dream?

¹³ Gideon arrived just as a soldier was talking to a friend about a dream. “Look!” he was saying. “I had a dream that went like this: A loaf of barley bread rolled into the Midianite encampment, came to a tent, and collided with it. The loaf of bread fell down, turned upside down, and the tent collapsed!”
¹⁴ Then his friend replied, “Can this be anything else than the sword of Joash’s son Gideon, that man from Israel? God must have given Midian and the entire encampment into his control!”

⁵ The LORD appeared to Solomon one night in a dream and told him, “Ask me for whatever you want and I’ll give it to you.”

¹⁴ The intimate counsel of the LORD is for those who fear him so they may know his covenant.

¹ King Nebuchadnezzar’s DreamDuring the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him. As a result, he couldn’t sleep.

⁵ I had a dream that made me afraid. The thoughts that went through my mind while in bed and the visions in my head terrified me.

²⁸ The Day of the LORD“Then it will come about at a later time that I will pour out my Spirit on every person. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your elderly people will dream dreams, and your young people will see visions.

⁷ The LORD’s Purposes“Truly the Lord GOD will do nothing he has mentioned without revealing his purposes to his servants the prophets.

¹⁴ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world.

¹⁸ But Judah approached him and begged him, “Your Excellency, please allow your servant to speak to you privately. Please don’t be angry with your servant, since you are equal to Pharaoh.

⁷ When Jotham was informed about this, he went out, took his stand on top of Mount Gerizim, and cried out loudly, “Listen to me, you “lords” of Shechem, and God will listen to you.

⁶ Joseph’s Brothers Encounter JosephMeanwhile, Joseph continued to be ruler over the land, in charge of selling to everyone in the land. Joseph’s brothers appeared and bowed down to him, face down.

²⁶ Joseph Inquires about His FamilyWhen Joseph arrived at his palace, his brothers brought to him their gifts that they had carried with them and bowed to the ground in front of him.

¹⁴ Joseph Confronts His BrothersJoseph was waiting for them back at his palace when his brothers returned. They fell to the ground in front of him,

¹⁹ Your Excellency asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or brother?’

¹⁰ And so, when Jesus’ name is called, the knees of everyone should fall, wherever they’re residing.

¹⁸ He is also the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself might have first place in everything.

²⁶ Your father’s blessings will prove to be stronger than blessings from the eternal mountains or bounties from the everlasting hills. May they come to rest on Joseph’s head, May they be set upon the brow of the one who was separated from his own brothers.”

¹⁴ The man replied, “Who appointed you to be an official judge over us? Are you planning to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?”
Then Moses became terrified and told himself, “Certainly this event has become known!”

²⁷ But some troublemakers said, “How can this man deliver us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift. But Saul remained silent.
The Ammonites Threaten Jabesh-gilead²⁸Meanwhile, Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been severely oppressing the descendants of Gad and descendants of Reuben, gouging out their right eyes and not allowing Israel to have a deliverer. No one was left among the Israelis across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. However, 7,000 men had escaped from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh-gilead.

³ “Let us tear off their shackles from us, and cast off their chains.” ⁴ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. ⁵ In his anger he rebukes them, and in his wrath he terrifies them: ⁶ “I have set my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”

²² The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

¹⁴ But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation to follow him and to announce, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us!’

¹⁷ But Jesus looked at them and asked, “What does this text mean: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?

²⁷ For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ²⁸ to carry out everything that your hand and will had predetermined to take place.

³⁵ “This same Moses—whom they rejected by saying, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’—was the man whom God sent to be both their ruler and deliverer with the help of the angel who had appeared to him in the bush.

²⁹ How much more severe a punishment do you think that person deserves who tramples on God’s Son, treats as common the blood of the covenant by which it was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace?

⁷ “We were tying sheaves together out in the middle of the fields, when all of a sudden, my sheaf stood up erect! And then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf!”

¹⁰ When Joseph told his father about this, his father rebuked him and asked him, “What kind of dream is that? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come to you and bow down to the ground in front of you?”

²⁵ Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream“Pharaoh’s dreams are identical,” Joseph replied. “God has told Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do.

³² “Now since Pharaoh had that dream twice, it means that this event has been scheduled by God, and God will bring it to pass very soon.

²⁸ “Your servant, our father, is doing well,” they replied. “He is still alive.” Then they bowed down in humility.

⁹ So hurry up, go back to my father, and tell him that his son Joseph tells him, ‘God has made me master of all of Egypt. Hurry up! Come live with me!’

²⁹ Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Jacob appeared in his presence, he embraced him and wept for a long time as he held on to him.

¹² Joseph provided food for his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household, proportionate to the number of young children.

¹⁵ Later, after Joseph’s brothers faced the reality of their father’s death, they asked themselves, “What happens if Joseph decides to hold a grudge against us? What if he pays us back in full for all the wrong things we did to him?”
¹⁶ So they sent this message to Joseph: ¹⁷ “Before he died, your father left some instructions. He told us, ‘Tell Joseph, “Please forgive your brothers’ offenses. I beg you, forgive their sins, because they wronged you.”’ So please forgive the transgression of the servants of your father’s God.”
Joseph wept when they talked to him. ¹⁸ So Joseph’s brothers went to visit him, fell prostrate in front of him, and declared, “Look! We’re your servants.”
¹⁹ “Don’t be afraid,” Joseph responded. “Am I sitting in God’s place? ²⁰ As far as you’re concerned, you were planning evil against me, but God intended it for good, planning to bring about the present result so that many people would be preserved alive. ²¹ So don’t be afraid! I’ll take care of you and your little ones.” So Joseph kept on comforting them, speaking to the needs of their hearts.

¹⁰ Then it moved against the Heavenly Army. It persuaded some of the Heavenly Army to fall to the earth, along with some of the stars, and it trampled them.

⁹ “Joseph’s brothers became jealous of him and sold Joseph as a slave in Egypt. However, God was with him ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler of Egypt and of his whole household. ¹¹ “But a famine spread throughout Egypt and Canaan, and with it great suffering, and our ancestors couldn’t find any food. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors on their first trip. ¹³ On their second trip, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph introduced his family to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then Joseph invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him in Egypt—75 persons in all.

¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and innocent, God’s children without any faults among a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world

²⁹ May people serve and bow before you; may you be master over your brothers; may your mother’s sons bow before you; may anyone who curses you be cursed; and may anyone who blesses you be blessed.”

¹⁴ “All the descendants of those who oppressed you will come bending low before you, and all those who despised you will bow down at your feet. They’ll call you ‘The City of the LORD,’ ‘Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’”

¹⁰ And so, when Jesus’ name is called, the knees of everyone should fall, wherever they’re residing. ¹¹ Then every tongue in one accord, will say that Jesus the Messiah is Lord, while God the Father praising.

³¹ “Come on,” Laban said. “The LORD has blessed you! So why are you standing out here when I’ve prepared some space in the house and a place for the camels?”

¹⁴ He owned so many sheep, cattle, and servants that the Philistines eventually became envious of him. ¹⁵ They filled in with sand all of the wells that Isaac’s father Abraham’s servants had dug during his lifetime. ¹⁶ Then Abimelech ordered Isaac, “Move away from us! You’ve become more powerful than we are.”

¹⁶ They were envious of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.

⁴ Then I examined all sorts of work, including all kinds of excellent achievements that create envy in others. This also is pointless and chasing after the wind.

¹³ Israel’s Victory over Its EnemiesEphraim’s jealousy will vanish, and those who are hostile to Judah will be eliminated; Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not be hostile to Ephraim.

¹¹ “LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. And let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame— yes, let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them!

²⁸ “At this point the vision ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts continued to alarm me, and I lost my natural color, but I kept quiet about the matter.”

¹⁸ He did this because he knew that they had handed him over out of jealousy.

¹⁰ because he knew that the high priests had handed him over due to jealousy.

¹⁹ However, Mary continued to treasure all these things in her heart and to ponder them.

⁵¹ Then he went back with them, returning to Nazareth and remaining in submission to them. His mother continued to treasure all these things in her heart.

⁹ “Joseph’s brothers became jealous of him and sold Joseph as a slave in Egypt. However, God was with him

⁴⁵ But when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to object to the statements made by Paul and even to abuse him.

²¹ envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and rivalry in your hearts, stop boasting and slandering the truth. ¹⁵ That kind of wisdom does not come from above. No, it is worldly, self-centered, and demonic. ¹⁶ For wherever jealousy and rivalry exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil.

⁵ Or do you think the Scripture means nothing when it says that the Spirit that God caused to live in us jealously yearns for us?

¹⁸ Jacob Buys Land in ShechemAfter Jacob had arrived safely from Paddan-aram, he entered the city of Shechem, which was located in the territory of Canaan, and encamped facing that city.

²⁵ Three days later, while they were still in pain, Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah’s brothers, each grabbed a sword and entered the city unannounced, intending to kill all the males. ²⁶ They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took back Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. ²⁷ Jacob’s other sons came along afterward and plundered the city where their sister had been defiled, ²⁸ seizing all of their flocks, herds, donkeys, and whatever else was in the city or had been left out in the field. ²⁹ They carried off all their wealth, their children, and their wives as captives, plundering everything that remained in the houses.
³⁰ Then Jacob told Simeon and Levi, “You have certainly stirred up trouble for me! You’ve made me despised by the Canaanites and the Perizzites who live in this territory. Because I have only a few men with me, they’re going to gather themselves together and attack me until I am totally destroyed, along with my entire household!”
³¹ “Should he have treated our sister like a whore?” they asked in response.

¹ Joseph’s Life before His CaptivityJacob continued to live in the land they were occupying, where his father had journeyed in the territory of Canaan.

¹ The Command to Offer IsaacSometime later, God tested Abraham. He called out to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am!” he answered.

¹ The Theft of Esau’s BlessingEventually, Isaac grew so old that he could not see. One day, he called his eldest son Esau. “My son,” he called out to him.

¹⁸ who went to his father and said, “My father…”
“It’s me!” he replied. “Which one are you, my son?”

⁴ The LORD called out to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
⁵ He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am! You called me.”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli said. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
⁶ Then the LORD again called out, “Samuel!”
So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am! You called me.”
He said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”

⁸ Then the LORD called out to Samuel again a third time, and he got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am! You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the boy,

¹⁶ Then Eli called Samuel: “Samuel, my son.”
He said, “Here I am.”

¹⁷ Jesse told his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain to your brothers, along with these ten loaves of bread, and quickly take them to your brothers in the camp. ¹⁸ Take these ten pieces of cheese to the commander of the unit, check on the well-being of your brothers, and bring something back from them. ¹⁹ Saul, your brothers, and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.” ²⁰ David got up early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the supplies, and went as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the encampment as the army was going out to the battle line, shouting the battle cry.

¹⁶ Future Persecutions
“Pay attention, now! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves.

¹³ “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I’ll send my son whom I love. Maybe they’ll respect him.’

¹ Advice for Children and ParentsChildren, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ² “Honor your father and mother…” (This is a very important commandment with a promise.) ³ “…so that it may go well for you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.”

¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and settled beside the oaks of Mamre that are by Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

² She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, in Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

⁶ So he asked them, “How’s he doing?”
“Very well,” they answered. “As a matter of fact, look over there! That’s his daughter Rachel, coming here with his sheep.”

²⁷ The Death of IsaacSo Jacob reached his father Isaac at Mamre, in Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived.

¹⁶ “I can’t do that,” Joseph replied, “but God is concerned about Pharaoh’s well-being.”

²² They went through the Negev and reached Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak lived. (Hebron had been constructed seven years before Zoan in Egypt had been built).

¹³ So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Jephunneh’s son Caleb for his inheritance.

¹⁵ Hebron used to be known as Kiriath-arba, after the greatest man among the Anakim. After all of this, the land enjoyed rest from war.

¹⁷ Jesse told his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain to your brothers, along with these ten loaves of bread, and quickly take them to your brothers in the camp. ¹⁸ Take these ten pieces of cheese to the commander of the unit, check on the well-being of your brothers, and bring something back from them.

³² The king asked the Ethiopian, “Is the young man safe?”
The Ethiopian answered, “May the enemies of your majesty the king—including everyone who rebels and tries to harm you—become like that young man….”

³³ May their blood be repaid to Joab and to his descendants forever, and may there be peace shown from the LORD forever to David, to his descendants, to his household, and to his throne.”

⁵ But for those who choose their own devious paths, the LORD will lead them away, along with those who practice evil. Peace be upon Israel.

⁷ Seek the welfare of the city to which I’ve exiled you and pray to the LORD for it, for your welfare depends on its welfare.’

⁴² “If you had only known today what could have brought you peace! But now it is hidden from your sight,

¹⁴ So early the next morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a leather bottle of water, gave them to Hagar, and placed them on her shoulder. He then sent her away, along with the child. She went off and roamed in the Beer-sheba wilderness.

²² Meanwhile, as Barak continued chasing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. “Come with me,” she told him, “and I’ll show you the man you’re looking for!” So he went with her, and there was Sisera, lying dead with the tent peg still embedded in his temple!

¹⁹ Then Elisha told the army, “This isn’t the way, and this isn’t the city! Follow me, and I’ll bring you to the man you’re seeking. Then he led them to Samaria.

³⁸ But when Jesus turned around and saw them following, he asked them, “What are you looking for?”
They asked him, “Rabbi,” (which is translated “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

²⁷ At this point his disciples arrived, and they were astonished that he was talking to a woman. Yet no one said, “What do you want from her?” or, “Why are you talking to her?”

⁴ Then Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen, went forward and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”

⁷ So he asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus from Nazareth.”

¹⁵ Jesus asked her, “Dear lady, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she told him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him away.”

⁷ Tell me, you whom I love, where do you graze your flock? Where do you make your flock lie down at noon? Why should I be considered a veiled woman beside the flocks of your companions?

¹⁰ and the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

¹³ So the king ordered, “Go and discover where he is, so I may send men to take him into custody.”
Later somebody told him, “Look! He’s in Dothan!”

¹ Jonathan Intercedes for DavidSaul told his son Jonathan and all his officials to kill David, but Saul’s son Jonathan was very fond of David.

¹³ I have heard the slander of many; it is like terror all around me, as they conspire together and plot to take my life.

¹² The wicked person plots against the righteous, and grinds his teeth at him.

³² The wicked stalks the righteous person, seeking to kill him,

²¹ They gather together against the righteous, condemning the innocent to death.

²⁵ He caused them to hate his people and to deceive his servants.

⁴ Instead of receiving my love, they accuse me, though I continue in prayer.

³⁸ But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they told one another, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’

¹ Jesus is Taken to Pilate
When morning came, all the high priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put him to death.

⁷ But those farmers told one another, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’

¹ The Plot to Kill Jesus
Now it was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The high priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus secretly and to have him put to death,

¹⁴ But when the farmers saw him, they talked it over among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him so that the inheritance will be ours!’ ¹⁵ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

⁵³ So from that day on they resolved to put him to death.

¹² Some Jews Plot to Kill PaulIn the morning, the Jewish leaders formed a conspiracy and took an oath not to eat or drink anything before they had killed Paul.

²⁰ Now I know for certain that you will be king, and that the kingdom will be established under your authority.

² So Saul rose and went down with 3,000 select men of Israel to the Wilderness of Ziph, to look for David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

²⁴ Not long after the man of God had left, a lion met him along the road and killed him. His body was left lying in the middle of the road with the donkey standing beside it and with the lion also standing next to the body.

²⁴ He looked behind him, took note of the young men, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears emerged from the woods and mauled 42 of the young men.

⁵ They concoct an evil scheme for themselves; they enumerate their hidden snares; they say, “Who will see them?”

¹¹ If they say, “Come with us! Let’s lie in wait for blood; let’s ambush some innocent person for no reason at all. ¹² Let’s swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those who go down into the Pit.

¹⁶ For they run toward evil; these enticers shed blood without hesitation.

¹⁷ Arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, and hands shedding innocent blood;

¹⁸ Whoever conceals hatred is a deceitful liar, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

⁴ Wrath can be fierce and anger overwhelms but who can stand up to jealousy?

¹³ Whoever hides his transgressions will not succeed, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.

² and asked, “Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
³ When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, as was all of Jerusalem. ⁴ He called together all the high priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because that is what was written by the prophet: ⁶ ‘O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
⁷ Then Herod secretly called together the wise men, found out from them the time the star had appeared, ⁸ and sent them to Bethlehem. He told them, “As you go, search carefully for the child. When you find him, tell me so that I, too, may go and worship him.”
⁹ After listening to the king, they set out, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were ecstatic with joy. ¹¹ After they went into the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, they fell down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasure sacks and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² Having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they left for their own country by a different road.
¹³ The Escape to EgyptAfter they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt,” he said. “Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him.” ¹⁴ So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left at night for Egypt. ¹⁵ He stayed there until Herod’s death in order to fulfill what was declared by the Lord through the prophet when he said, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.”
¹⁶ The Massacre of the InfantsHerod flew into a rage when he learned that he had been tricked by the wise men, so he ordered the execution of all the male children in Bethlehem and all its neighboring regions, who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had determined from the wise men.

⁴⁰ and saying, “You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days—save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
⁴¹ In the same way the high priests, along with the scribes and elders, were also making fun of him. They kept saying, ⁴² “He saved others but can’t save himself! He is the king of Israel. Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

²⁹ Those who passed by kept insulting him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who were going to destroy the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days— ³⁰ save yourself and come down from the cross!”
³¹ In the same way, the high priests, along with the scribes, were also making fun of him among themselves. They kept saying, “He saved others, but can’t save himself! ³² Let the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, since seeing is believing!” Even the men who were crucified with him kept insulting him.

¹² If I have told you people about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

¹⁰ So the high priests planned to kill Lazarus, too, ¹¹ since he was the reason why so many of the Jews were leaving to believe in Jesus.

¹⁶ They said, “What should we do with these men? For it’s obvious to everybody living in Jerusalem that an unmistakable sign has been done by them, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But to keep it from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them never again to speak to anyone in this name.”
¹⁸ So they called Peter and John back in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

⁵ Also, I will certainly demand an accounting regarding bloodshed, from every animal and from every human being. I’ll demand an accounting from every human being for the life of another human being.

²² “Didn’t I tell you!” Reuben replied. “‘Don’t wrong the kid!’ I said, but would you listen? No! Now it’s payback time!”

²⁸ The Southern CampaignJoshua captured Makkedah that very day, and attacked both it and its king with swords, utterly destroying it along with every person in it, leaving no survivors. He dealt with the king of Makkedah the same way he had dealt with the king of Jericho.

²⁸ Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

¹² “Don’t lay your hand on the youth!” he said. “Don’t do anything to him, because I’ve just demonstrated that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only unique one, from me.”

¹¹ Because God did not punish the Israeli leaders, they looked at God, yet lived to eat and drink.

⁹ But you must surely execute him. You must be the first to put him to death with your own hand, and then the hands of the whole community.

²⁴ Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Attend to that yourselves.”

¹ An Angel Frees Peter from PrisonAbout that time, Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church and mistreated them.

³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his brothers, since he was born to him in his old age, so he had made a richly-embroidered tunic for him.

³¹ So they took Joseph’s coat, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. ³² Then they stretched out the richly-embroidered tunic to dry, and brought it to their father.
“We’ve found this,” they reported. “Look at it and see if this is or isn’t your son’s tunic.”
³³ Examining it, he cried out, “It’s my son’s tunic! A wild animal has no doubt torn Joseph to pieces.”

²¹ Joseph’s Brothers Mull over Their Predicament“We’re all guilty because of what we did to our brother!” they told each other. “We kept on watching his suffering while he pleaded with us! We’re in this mess because we wouldn’t listen!”

¹⁸ They divide my clothing among themselves; they cast lots for my clothing!

²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him.

⁷ Without justification they laid a snare for me; without justification they dug a pit to trap me.

² He plucked me out of a pit of confusion, even out of the quicksand; he placed my feet on a rock and established my steps.

⁶ You have assigned me to the lowest part of the Pit, to the darkest depths.

⁸ You caused my acquaintances to shun me; you make me extremely abhorrent to them. Restrained, I am unable to go out.

¹ A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Mercy I cry to you from the depths, LORD, ² Lord, listen to my voice; let your ears pay attention to what I ask of you!

⁶ So they threw Jeremiah into a cistern that belonged to the king’s son Malchijah and was located in the courtyard of the guard. When they let Jeremiah down with ropes, because there was no water in the cistern—only mud—Jeremiah sank into the mud.

⁵² My enemies hunted me like a bird, viciously and without justification. ⁵³ They dumped me alive into a pit, sealing me in with stone. ⁵⁴ Water closed over my head, and I said, “I’m a dead man.” ⁵⁵ I called on your name, LORD, from the depths of the Pit,

²⁰ The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. About him we had said, “Under his protection we will survive among the nations.”

¹¹ Now concerning you and my blood covenant with you, I have liberated your prisoners from a waterless pit.

¹¹ “Look, you are pregnant and will give birth to a son,” the angel of the LORD continued to say to her. “You will name him Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your cry of misery. ¹² He’ll be a wild donkey of a man. He’ll be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will live in conflict with all of his relatives.”

¹ Abraham Names Isaac to be His HeirAbraham had taken another wife whose name was Keturah. ² She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. ³ Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s sons were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. ⁴ Midian’s sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these were Keturah’s descendants.

¹⁶ These were Ishmael’s children, listed by their names according to their villages and their camps. There were a total of twelve tribal chiefs, according to their clans. ¹⁷ Ishmael lived for 137 years, then he took his last breath, died, and joined his ancestors. ¹⁸ His descendants settled from Havilah to Shur (that’s near Egypt), all the way to Assyria, in defiance of all of his relatives.

²¹ Jacob fled, taking everything that he owned. He got up, crossed the river, and headed to the hill country of Gilead.

²³ so he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob. Laban was on the road for seven days when he finally caught up with Jacob in the hill country of Gilead.

²⁸ As the Midianite merchants were passing through, they extracted Joseph from the cistern and sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who then took Joseph down to Egypt.

³⁶ Joseph is Enslaved to PotipharMeanwhile, down in Egypt, the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials, who was also Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards.

¹ Joseph is Delivered to PotipharMeanwhile, Joseph had been delivered to Egypt and turned over to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials and the Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards. An Egyptian, he bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.

¹¹ Jacob Gives Instructions for the Trip“If that’s the way it has to be,” their father Israel replied, “then do this: take some of the best produce of the land in your containers and take them to the man as a gift—some resin ointment, some honey, fragrant resins, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds.

¹⁵ The couriers went out, urged on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in Susa the capital. The king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

⁴ Will those who do evil ever learn? They devour my people like they devour bread, and never call on the LORD.

⁶ the tents of Edom, the Ishmaelites, Moab, the Hagrites,

²⁰ This is what an immoral woman is like: she eats, wipes her mouth, then says “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

²² Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why is there no healing for my people?

¹¹ Go up to Gilead and get balm, virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you multiply remedies, but there is no healing for you.

⁶ drinking wine from bowls, anointing themselves with the choicest of oils, but not grieving on the occasion of Joseph’s ruin—

¹⁰ “What did you do?” God asked. “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

³² “Look! I’m about to die,” Esau replied. “What good is this birthright to me?”

²⁰ Come on! Let’s kill him and toss him into one of the cisterns. Then we’ll report that some wild animal devoured him and wait to see what becomes of his dreams!”

⁸ Deciding Difficult Cases“If a case is too difficult for you to decide with respect to bloodshed, civil claims, assault and battery, or other matters of dispute within your courts, bring it to the place that the LORD your God will choose.

¹⁶ David told him, “Your blood is on your own head, because your own words testified against you! After all, you said, ‘I myself have killed the LORD’s anointed!’”

¹⁸ Job Appeals to Witnesses“Listen, earth! Don’t cover my blood, for my outcry has no place to rest.

⁹ “What profit is there in my death if I go down to the Pit? Can dust worship you? Can it proclaim your faithfulness?”

⁸ Ten men who were among them told Ishmael, “Don’t kill us because we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the field. So Ishmael stopped and did not kill them or their companions.

⁷ Her blood was in it. She poured it out onto bare rock. She didn’t pour it out on the ground, intending to cover it with dirt.

²⁶ because what profit will a person have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?

²¹ What benefit did you get from doing those things you are now ashamed of? For those things resulted in death.

¹⁴ Laban responded, “You certainly are my flesh and blood!” So Jacob stayed with him for about a month.

²² Reuben told them. “And no blood shedding, either. Instead, let’s toss him into this cistern that’s way out here in the wilderness. But don’t lay a hand on him.” (Reuben intended to free Joseph and return him to his father.)

¹⁶ “Whoever kidnaps a person, whether he has sold him or whether the victim is still in his possession, is certainly to be put to death.

²¹ But if the servant survives a day or two, the master is not to be punished because the servant is his property.

¹⁷ David Marries Saul’s DaughterSaul told David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I’ll give her to you as a wife. Just be an excellent soldier for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” Now Saul told himself, “I won’t harm him myself. Instead, I’ll let the Philistines harm him.”

¹⁴ David Orders Uriah KilledThe next morning, David sent a message to Joab that Uriah took with him in his hand. ¹⁵ In the message, he wrote: “Assign Uriah to the most difficult fighting at the battle front, and then withdraw from him so that he will be struck down and killed.” ¹⁶ So as Joab began to attack the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew valiant men would be stationed. ¹⁷ When the men of the city came out to fight Joab, some of David’s army staff members fell, and Uriah the Hittite died, too.

⁹ “‘Why did you despise what the LORD has promised by doing what is detestable in his sight?
“‘You struck down Uriah the Hittite with a battle sword.
“‘You took his wife to be your own.
“‘You killed him with the sword of the Ammonite army.

⁸ I accused them, “To the best of our ability, we’ve been buying back our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Even now you’re selling your fellow countrymen, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet and never spoke a word.

¹⁵ and inquired, “What are you willing to give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They offered him 30 pieces of silver,

¹⁰ for those involved in sexual immorality, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for false witnesses, and for whatever else goes against the healthy teaching

¹³ cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and slaves (that is, human souls)—

² She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

²⁵ After this, while they were seated, eating their food, they looked around and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with camels carrying spices, balm, and myrrh for sale down in Egypt.

⁴ Joseph implored his brothers, “Please come close to me.” So they did.
“I’m your brother Joseph, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt!” he told them. ⁵ “But don’t be distressed or angry at yourselves because you sold me here, because God sent me ahead of you all in order to deliver us.

¹⁶ Meanwhile, the seven daughters of a certain Midianite priest would come to draw water in order to fill water troughs for their father’s sheep.

¹⁵ The woman who was slain, that is, the Midianite woman, was named Cozbi. She was the daughter of Zur, a leader of one of the ancestral houses of Midian.

¹⁷ “Attack the Midianites and execute them,

² “Be sure to exact vengeance on behalf of the Israelis from the Midianites, after which you’ll be taken home to your people.”
³ So Moses instructed the people, “Muster your men of war to attack the Midianites and deliver the LORD’S vengeance against Midian.

⁸ They executed the five kings of Midian, including Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also executed Beor’s son Balaam with a sword. ⁹ After this, the Israelis took captive the Midianite women and children and confiscated as spoils of war all their cattle, livestock, and their goods.

¹ Gideon, Israel’s Fifth JudgeLater on, the Israelis practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, so the LORD handed them over to the domination of Midian for seven years. ² Midian’s control predominated throughout Israel, and because of Midian the Israelis went out to find temporary hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and fortified places.
³ Whenever the Israelis sowed their crops, the Midianites, the Amalekites, and certain groups from the east would come up and invade them.

²² Then the men of Israel asked Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son, and your grandsons—because you have delivered us from Midian’s domination.”

²⁴ Gideon Falls into IdolatryBut Gideon also added, “I would like to ask that each of you give me a ring from his war booty” because, as Ishmaelites, the Midianites had been wearing gold rings.

⁹ Deal with them as you did to Midian, Sisera, and Jabin at the Kishon Brook.

¹⁷ He sent a man before them— Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.

⁶ Throngs of camels will blanket you: the young camels of Midian and Ephu; all those from Shebu will come. They’ll carry gold and frankincense, and proclaim the praise of the LORD.

¹² I told them, “If it’s alright with you, pay me what I’ve earned. But if it isn’t, don’t.”
So they paid out what I had earned—30 pieces of silver.
¹³ Then the LORD told me, “Throw the money into the treasury—that magnificent value they placed on me!”
So I took the 30 shekels of silver and threw them into the treasury of the Temple of the LORD.

⁹ Then what had been declared through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said, “They took the 30 pieces of silver, the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelis,

¹³ Jacob’s Sons Plot RevengeBut Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceptively, because Shechem had dishonored their sister Dinah.

³⁴ So Jacob tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and then mourned many days for his son.

¹³ At this, they all tore their clothes, reloaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

⁶ Nun’s son Joshua and Jephunneh’s son Caleb, who had accompanied the others who also had explored the land, tore their clothes

³⁵ When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and cried out, “Oh no! My daughter! You have terribly burdened me! You’ve joined those who are causing me trouble, because I’ve given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it.

¹ Isaiah Encourages HezekiahWhen King Hezekiah heard Eliakim’s report, he tore his clothes, put on a sackcloth covering, entered the LORD’s Temple,

²⁰ Job Blesses God Despite the CatastropheThen Job stood up, tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground, bowed very low,

¹³ Tear your hearts, not your garments; and turn back to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to become angry, overflowing in gracious love, and grieves about this evil.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,

¹³ “But your majesty,” they pleaded, “your servants include twelve brothers, the sons of a common father back in the land of Canaan. Please! Our youngest brother remains with our father, and the other one is no longer alive.”

³² Our father has twelve sons, but one of us isn’t alive anymore, and our youngest brother is with our father today back home in Canaan.’

³⁵ Later on, as they went about unloading their sacks, each man’s bundle of money was found in each man’s sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were greatly distressed. ³⁶ Their father Jacob told them, “You’re causing me to lose my children! Joseph is gone. Now Simeon is gone, and you’re planning to take Benjamin, too. Everything’s going against me!”

¹⁵ The End of Rachel’s MourningThis is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter crying. Rachel is crying, and she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no longer alive.”

²⁰ and we answered Your Excellency, ‘We have an aged father and a younger child who was born when he was old. His brother is now dead, so he’s the only surviving son of his mother. His father loves him.’
²¹ “But then you ordered your servants, ‘Bring him here to me so I can see him for myself.’ ²² So we told Your Excellency, ‘The young man cannot leave his father, because if he were to do so, his father would die.’ ²³ But then you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes back with you, you won’t see my face again.’

³⁰ But this son of yours spent your money on prostitutes, and when he came back, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

²⁸ One of them left me, so I concluded “I’m certain that he has been torn to pieces,” and I haven’t seen him since then.

¹⁵ An unthinking person believes everything, but the prudent one thinks before acting.

⁷ Jesus answered him, “You don’t realize now what I’m doing, but later on you’ll understand.”

²⁹ Later, when Reuben returned to the cistern, Joseph wasn’t there! In mounting panic, he tore his clothes,

⁶ At this, Joshua tore his clothes, fell down to the ground on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening—he and the leaders of Israel—and they covered their heads with dust.

¹¹ On hearing this, David grabbed his clothes and tore them, as did all the men who were attending to him.

³¹ David ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” King David walked behind the funeral procession,

³¹ “Look, now,” his advisors suggested, “we’ve heard that the Israeli kings are merciful. So let’s clothe ourselves with sackcloth, tie our hair back with ropes, and go out to the king of Israel. Maybe he’ll spare your life.”

²⁷ Nevertheless, as soon as Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He even slept in sackcloth and wandered around meekly.

¹⁶ David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.

³ When I heard this, I tore both my garment and robe, plucked hair from both my head and my beard, and collapsed in shock! ⁴ Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered together as a group because of the sin committed by those who had been led astray. As for me, I remained seated, in shock, until the evening sacrifice.
⁵ Ezra’s Prayer of RepentanceAt the time of the evening sacrifice, I arose from my discouragement. Still in my torn garment and robe, I fell to my knees with my hands outstretched to the LORD my God,

¹ The People Confess Their SinsOn the twenty-fourth day of this same month, the Israelis gathered together while fasting, wearing sackcloth, and covering themselves with dust.

¹ Mordecai Seeks Esther’s HelpWhen Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his garments and clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes. He went into the middle of the city and cried out with a loud and bitter cry. ² He came as far as the front of the king’s gate, because no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. ³ In every province where the order of the king and his edict reached, among the Jewish people there was great mourning, fasting, weeping, and lamenting, and many lay down on sackcloth and ashes.

¹² Observing him from a distance, at first they didn’t even recognize him, so they raised their voices and burst into tears. They each ripped their robes, threw ashes into the air on their heads,

¹¹ When I dressed in sackcloth, I became an object of gossip among them.

¹² On that day the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies called for weeping and mourning, for shaving heads and wearing sackcloth. ¹³ But look! There is joy and festivity, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating meat and drinking wine. “Let us eat and drink, you say, because we die tomorrow.”

¹¹ So tremble, you ladies of leisure! Shudder, you daughters who feel so complacent! Strip down and make yourselves naked down to the waist! Then wrap yourself in sackcloth and beat your breasts.

²² Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, the recorder, approached Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and let him know what the field commander had said.

²⁴ The king and all his officials who were listening to these words were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments.

⁵ The City of Nineveh RepentsThe people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least important. ⁶ When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his royal garments, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat down in ashes. ⁷ Then he had this proclamation published throughout Nineveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles: No man or animal, herd or flock, is to taste anything, graze, or drink water. ⁸ Instead, let both man and animal clothe themselves with sackcloth and cry out to God forcefully. Let every person turn from his evil ways and from his tendency to do violence.

²¹ “How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Listen! You yourselves have just heard the blasphemy!

³ I will give my two witnesses who wear sackcloth the authority to prophesy for 1,260 days.”

⁴³ But Laban answered Jacob, “These women are my daughters. These children are my children. The flocks are mine. In fact, everything that you see belongs to me. But what would I do today to my daughters and the children they have borne?

²² But while Israel lived in that land, Reuben went inside his father’s tent and had sexual relations with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob had twelve sons. ²³ Leah’s sons were Reuben (Jacob’s first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. ²⁴ Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin.

³¹ But we told him, ‘No! We’re honest men! We’re not spies!

³⁸ But Jacob replied, “My son isn’t going back with you, since his brother is dead and he’s the only one left. If something should harm him as you travel, then it’ll be death for me and my sad, gray hair!”

²⁹ If you take this one from me, too, and then something harmful happens to him, then it will be death for me and my sad, gray hair!’
³⁰ “So when I go back to your servant, my father, and the young man isn’t with us, since he’s constantly living life focused on his son, ³¹ when he notices that the young man hasn’t come back with us, he’ll die, and your servants really will have brought death to your servant, our father, along with his sad, gray hair!

²⁸ “It’s enough,” Israel replied. “My son Joseph is still alive. I’m going to go see him before I die!”

¹⁷ His closest advisors at the palace got up, remained with him, and tried to help him get up from the ground, but he would not do so. He also wouldn’t eat with them.

¹¹ Job’s Friends VisitWhen Job’s three friends heard all these tragedies that happened to him, they each traveled from their home towns to visit him. Eliphaz came from Teman, Bildad came from Shuah, and Zophar came from Naamath. They met together and went to console and comfort him.

² When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; my hands were raised at night and they did not grow weary. I refused to be comforted.

¹ Abraham Names Isaac to be His HeirAbraham had taken another wife whose name was Keturah. ² She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

¹ Joseph is Delivered to PotipharMeanwhile, Joseph had been delivered to Egypt and turned over to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s court officials and the Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards. An Egyptian, he bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.
² But the LORD was with Joseph. He became a very prosperous man while in the house of his Egyptian master, ³ who could see that the LORD was with Joseph, because the LORD made everything prosper that Joseph did. ⁴ That’s how Joseph pleased Potiphar as he served him. Eventually, Potiphar appointed Joseph as overseer of his entire household. Moreover, he entrusted everything that he owned into his care. ⁵ From the time he appointed Joseph to be overseer over his entire household and everything that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The LORD’s blessing rested on Joseph, whether in Potiphar’s household or in Potiphar’s fields. ⁶ Everything that he owned, he entrusted into Joseph’s care. He never concerned himself about anything, except for the food he ate.
Potiphar’s Wife Accuses JosephNow Joseph was well built and good looking. ⁷ That’s why, sometime later, Joseph’s master’s wife looked straight at Joseph and propositioned him: “Come on! Let’s have a little sex!”
⁸ But he refused, telling his master’s wife, “Look! My master doesn’t have to worry about anything in the house with me in charge, and he has entrusted everything into my care. ⁹ No one has more authority in this house than I do. He has withheld nothing from me, except you, and that’s because you’re his wife. So how can I commit such a horrible evil? How can I sin against God?”
¹⁰ She kept on talking to him like this day after day, but he wouldn’t listen to her. Not only would he refuse to have sex with her, he refused even to stay around her. ¹¹ One day, though, he went into the house to do his work. None of the household servants were inside, ¹² so she grabbed Joseph by his outer garment and demanded “Let’s have some sex!”
Instead, Joseph ran outside, leaving his outer garment still in her hand. ¹³ When she realized that he had left his outer garment right there in her hand, she ran outside ¹⁴ and yelled for her household servants. “Look!” she cried out. “My husband brought in a Hebrew man to humiliate us. He came in here to have sex with me, but I screamed out loud! ¹⁵ When he heard me starting to scream, he left his outer garment with me and fled outside.” ¹⁶ She kept his outer garment by her side until Joseph’s master came home, ¹⁷ and then this is what she told him: “That Hebrew slave whom you brought to us came in here to rape me. ¹⁸ But when I started to scream, he left his outer garment with me and ran outside.”
¹⁹ Joseph is Locked in PrisonWhen Joseph’s master heard his wife’s claim to the effect that “This is how your servant treated me,” he flew into a rage, ²⁰ arrested Joseph, and locked him up in the same prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph remained there in prison.
²¹ But the LORD was with Joseph. He extended gracious love to him, causing the prison warden to be pleased with Joseph. ²² So the prison warden entrusted into Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were confined in prison. Whatever they did, Joseph was in charge of the work detail. ²³ The prison warden did not have to worry about anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with him. That’s why Joseph prospered in everything he did.

⁴ The captain of the guard entrusted them to Joseph’s custody, who took care of them, since they were to remain there in custody for a number of days.

⁸ Jerusalem is Burned and the Temple DemolishedOn the seventh day of the fifth month, which was during the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign as king of Babylon, captain of the guard Nebuzaradan, a servant of the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem

¹⁰ Vashti Refuses to Obey the KingA week later, when the king was under the influence of all that wine, he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus,

³ “Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say: ‘The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.’ Furthermore, let no eunuch say, ‘Look! I am just a dry tree.’”