The Story of Joseph page 3 of 4
As the dreams had indicated, during the seven years of plenty, the store rooms were over filled with grain. Also, after the end of these seven years, famine had struck. Many of the people started to starve and when they went to Pharaoh, he told them to go to Joseph. So Joseph sold the grain to people as they needed. Even in the surrounding towns, people came to buy grain.
When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent his ten sons to buy some for his people. However, the youngest son, Benjamin was not allowed to go because Jacob was afraid something may happen to him as he thought had happened to Joseph. So the other brothers went to Egypt and came before Joseph to buy grain. As they appeared before Joseph, they bowed down to him, just as Joseph's dream in the beginning had predicted. The brothers did not recognize Joseph, but Joseph did indeed recognize them but pretended that he did not.
Joseph asked them where they came from and what they wanted. They said they were from Canaan and wanted to buy grain. Joseph replied;
"You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!" And they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. We are all one man's sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies." But he said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land." And they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more." But Joseph said to them, "It is as I spoke to you, saying, 'You are spies!' In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!" So he put them all together in prison three days."
The brothers started to speak amongst themselves, saying things as "this is coming on us because of what we did to Joseph. God is punishing us because we let Joseph die". They didn't realize that Joseph was able to understand them as they were speaking to him through an interpreter.
As it was, one of the brothers, Simeon was left behind. Joseph ordered the other brothers sacks to be filled with grain to take back with them. He also secretly ordered their money they used to buy the grain to be put back into their sacks without their knowledge.
The brothers went out to return to Jacob, and at one of their stops, they found the money they had used to pay for the grain in their sacks. When they returned to Jacob, they told him of everything that had happened. They told Jacob, that the ruler of the land had held back Simeon and he would be returned only if their youngest brother Benjamin would return back with them. Jacob replied;
"You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me." Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you." But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave."
So as it was, the food started to run out again. Jacob told his sons to go again and buy more. But Judah reminded him that Benjamin had to come with them or they would not be able to see the ruler again to buy more food. After much debate and a guarantee from Judah, Jacob agreed to let Benjamin go with them. Jacob told his sons to bring with them their finest of gifts to the ruler.
When they arrived in Egypt, they presented Benjamin to Joseph. Joseph was pleased and arraigned for all of them to have a meal with him. The brothers were brought into Joseph's house. They were afraid of where they were going and spoke with the steward of the house and told him about the money they had used to buy the grain during their first visit was found in their sacks and that they had no idea how it got there. The steward told them not to worry, that their God must have put it there.
At the house Joseph inquired about their father asking them if he was still alive. They told him he was. Then the brothers bowed before Joseph. Joseph asked "is this your youngest brother Benjamin"? Again they said yes. Joseph quickly left the room as his emotions were starting to get the best of him. He then composed himself and then went back into the room. Joseph arraigned for the brothers to sit together at the table. They though it was precarious that they were seated according to their age, oldest to the youngest. They all had a wonderful meal together that night.
In the morning, Joseph ordered each of the brothers sacks filled with food and again, their money they had brought to be put into their sacks. He also secretly ordered his silver cup to be put into the top of Benjamin's sack. The brothers then left to return to Canaan.
Shortly after that Joseph ordered his guards to chase after them and pull the silver cup from the youngest one's sack. He said to them;
"Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing'."
As the dreams had indicated, during the seven years of plenty, the store rooms were over filled with grain. Also, after the end of these seven years, famine had struck. Many of the people started to starve and when they went to Pharaoh, he told them to go to Joseph. So Joseph sold the grain to people as they needed. Even in the surrounding towns, people came to buy grain.
When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent his ten sons to buy some for his people. However, the youngest son, Benjamin was not allowed to go because Jacob was afraid something may happen to him as he thought had happened to Joseph. So the other brothers went to Egypt and came before Joseph to buy grain. As they appeared before Joseph, they bowed down to him, just as Joseph's dream in the beginning had predicted. The brothers did not recognize Joseph, but Joseph did indeed recognize them but pretended that he did not.
Joseph asked them where they came from and what they wanted. They said they were from Canaan and wanted to buy grain. Joseph replied;
"You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!" And they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. We are all one man's sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies." But he said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land." And they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more." But Joseph said to them, "It is as I spoke to you, saying, 'You are spies!' In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!" So he put them all together in prison three days."
The brothers started to speak amongst themselves, saying things as "this is coming on us because of what we did to Joseph. God is punishing us because we let Joseph die". They didn't realize that Joseph was able to understand them as they were speaking to him through an interpreter.
As it was, one of the brothers, Simeon was left behind. Joseph ordered the other brothers sacks to be filled with grain to take back with them. He also secretly ordered their money they used to buy the grain to be put back into their sacks without their knowledge.
The brothers went out to return to Jacob, and at one of their stops, they found the money they had used to pay for the grain in their sacks. When they returned to Jacob, they told him of everything that had happened. They told Jacob, that the ruler of the land had held back Simeon and he would be returned only if their youngest brother Benjamin would return back with them. Jacob replied;
"You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me." Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you." But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave."
So as it was, the food started to run out again. Jacob told his sons to go again and buy more. But Judah reminded him that Benjamin had to come with them or they would not be able to see the ruler again to buy more food. After much debate and a guarantee from Judah, Jacob agreed to let Benjamin go with them. Jacob told his sons to bring with them their finest of gifts to the ruler.
When they arrived in Egypt, they presented Benjamin to Joseph. Joseph was pleased and arraigned for all of them to have a meal with him. The brothers were brought into Joseph's house. They were afraid of where they were going and spoke with the steward of the house and told him about the money they had used to buy the grain during their first visit was found in their sacks and that they had no idea how it got there. The steward told them not to worry, that their God must have put it there.
At the house Joseph inquired about their father asking them if he was still alive. They told him he was. Then the brothers bowed before Joseph. Joseph asked "is this your youngest brother Benjamin"? Again they said yes. Joseph quickly left the room as his emotions were starting to get the best of him. He then composed himself and then went back into the room. Joseph arraigned for the brothers to sit together at the table. They though it was precarious that they were seated according to their age, oldest to the youngest. They all had a wonderful meal together that night.
In the morning, Joseph ordered each of the brothers sacks filled with food and again, their money they had brought to be put into their sacks. He also secretly ordered his silver cup to be put into the top of Benjamin's sack. The brothers then left to return to Canaan.
Shortly after that Joseph ordered his guards to chase after them and pull the silver cup from the youngest one's sack. He said to them;
"Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing'."
Godisareality.com