Events found on this timeline

(The whole story of Joseph can be found in Genesis 28-50.  Only a few of those details are listed here.)

The story of Joseph, Jacob's first son by his favorite wife Rachel, has few known duration's of time.  Therefore the time between most events cannot be known for certain and so this timeline is drawn without any scale.  Events are only placed in the order that they occurred.

As you read about this story please note how God used a very young man to save many people.
God many times will use the young to benefit others, but what this story is really about is
how much God loves ALL of His children and how He wants to save everyone.
 

Joseph's life has been compared to the life of none other than Jesus Christ Himself.  Below are a few examples of how their lives were very much alike:

Jacob's Ladder

While running from his brother's anger, Jacob (Joseph's father) had a very strange dream. 
 

Genesis 28

 10And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

 11And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

 12And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

 13And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

 14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

 15And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

 16And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

 17And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

 18And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

 19And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

 20And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

 21So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

 22And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

(For more on this portion of the story, read:  The Night of Wrestling)

Jacob Works for Laban

After having his dream and being encouraged Jacob continued on his journey and came to the home of his uncle Laban, his mother's brother.  This is where Joseph was born.

Genesis 29

 1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

 2And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.

 3And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.

 4And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

 5And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.

 6And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.

 7And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.

 8And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.

 9And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them.

 10And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

 11And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

 12And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.

 13And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

 14And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

 15And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

 16And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

 17Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

 18And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

 19And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

 20And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

 21And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

 22And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

 23And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

 24And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

 25And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

 26And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

 27Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

 28And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.

 29And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

 30And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

 31And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

 32And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

 33And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

 34And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

 35And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

 

Jacob Wrestles With God

Genesis 32

 24And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

 25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

 26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

 27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

 28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

 29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

 30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

(For more on this portion of the story, read:  Jacob's Flight and Exile)

Jacob Meets His Brother, Esau, Again

Joseph may have been very young when Jacob left Laban.  Jacob worked 7 years before getting married. There were 11 children born to Jacob (10 boys, 1 girl) before Joseph. (11 children x 9 months each=8.3 or about 8 years. Jacob worked for Laban 20 years. 7 years before marriage + 8 years of having children=15 years, so 20-15= 5 maximum?)

Genesis 32

 1And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

 2And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

 3And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

 4And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

 5And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

 6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

 7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

 8And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

 9And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

 10I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

 11Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

 12And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

 13And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

 14Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

 15Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

 16And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.

 17And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

 18Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.

 19And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

 20And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

 21So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

 22And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

 23And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
 

Genesis 33

 1And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.

 2And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.

 3And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

 4And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

 5And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.

 6Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

 7And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

 8And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.

 9And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.

 10And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.

 11Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.

 12And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

 13And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.

 14Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

 15And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.

 16So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

(For more on this portion of the story, read:  The Return to Canaan)

Joseph's Mother, Rachel, Dies

Genesis 35

 15And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

 16And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

 17And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

 18And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

 19And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

 20And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.

Joseph's Dreams

Genesis 37

 1And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

 2These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

 4And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

 5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

 6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

 7For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

 8And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

 9And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

 10And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

 11And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Joseph is Thrown into a Pit

Genesis 37

12And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.

 13And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.

 14And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

 15And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

 16And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.

 17And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

 18And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

 19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

 20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

 21And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

 22And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

 23And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

 24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

 25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

 26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

 27Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

 28Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

 29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

 30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

 31And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

 32And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.

 33And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

 34And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

 35And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

Joseph is Sold into Slavery

Genesis 37

36And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.

Genesis 39

 1And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

Joseph and Potiphar

(For more on the following, read:  Joseph in Egypt)

Genesis 39

 1And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

 2And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

 3And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

 4And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

 5And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

 6And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

Joseph Accused of Wrong

Genesis 39

 6And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

 7And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

 8But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

 9There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

 10And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

 11And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

 12And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

 13And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,

 14That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:

 15And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.

 16And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.

 17And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:

 18And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

 19And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.

 20And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

Joseph in Prison

Genesis 39

20And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

 21But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

 22And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

 23The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

Joseph Interprets Dreams

Genesis 40

 1And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

 2And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.

 3And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

 4And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.

 5And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.

 6And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.

 7And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?

 8And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.

 9And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;

 10And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:

 11And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

 12And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:

 13Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

 14But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:

 15For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.

 16When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:

 17And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.

 18And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:

 19Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.

 20And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

 21And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:

 22But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.

 23Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

Genesis 41

 1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

 2And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

 3And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.

 4And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

 5And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

 6And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

 7And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

 8And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

 9Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

 10Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:

 11And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

 12And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

 13And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

 14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

 15And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

 16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

 17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

 18And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

 19And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:

 20And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

 21And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

 22And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

 23And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

 24And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

 25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

 26The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

 27And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

 28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

 29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

 30And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

 31And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

 32And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

 33Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

 34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.

 35And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

 36And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

 37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

Joseph Promoted

 (Note that Joseph is 30 years old at this point in time, verse 46.  Jesus was also 30 when He began to save people.  Luke 3:23.)

Genesis 41

 37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

 38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

 39And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

 40Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

 41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

 42And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

 43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

 44And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

 45And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

 46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

Joseph and His Brothers

(For more on the rest of the story, read:  Joseph and His Brothers)

Genesis 41

46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

 47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

 48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

 49And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.

 50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

 51And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.

 52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

 53And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.

 54And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

 55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.

 56And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

 57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Genesis 42

 1Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

 2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

 3And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

 4But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

 5And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

 6And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

 7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

 8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

 9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

 10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

 11We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

 12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

 13And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

 14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

 15Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

 16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

 17And he put them all together into ward three days.

 18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

 19If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

 20But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

 21And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

 22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

 23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

 24And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

 25Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

 26And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

 27And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth.

 28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

 29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

 30The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

 31And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

 32We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

 33And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:

 34And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

 35And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

 36And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

 37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

 38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Genesis 43

 1And the famine was sore in the land.

 2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

 3And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

 4If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

 5But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

 6And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

 7And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

 8And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

 9I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

 10For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

 11And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

 12And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

 13Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

 14And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

 15And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

 16And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

 17And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

 18And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

 19And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

 20And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

 21And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

 22And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

 23And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

 24And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

 25And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

 26And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

 27And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

 28And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

 29And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

 30And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

 31And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

 32And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

 33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.

 34And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of their's. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Genesis 44

 1And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

 2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

 3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

 4And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

 5Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

 6And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

 7And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

 8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

 9With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

 10And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.

 11Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

 12And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

 13Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

 14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

 15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

 16And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

 17And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

 18Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.

 19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

 20And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

 21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

 22And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

 23And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

 24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

 25And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.

 26And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

 27And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

 28And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

 29And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

 30Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

 31It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

 32For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

 33Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

 34For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Genesis 45

 1Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

 2And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.

 3And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

 4And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

 5Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

 6For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

 7And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

 8So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

 9Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

 10And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:

 11And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

 12And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.

 13And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.

 14And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

 15Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.

 16And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

 17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;

 18And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

 19Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

 20Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is your's.

 21And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

 22To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.

 23And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

 24So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.

 25And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,

Joseph Meets His Father, Jacob

Genesis 45

 25And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,

 26And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.

 27And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:

 28And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

Genesis 46

 1And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

 2And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

 3And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

 4I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

 5And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

 6And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:

 7His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.

 8And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

 9And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.

 10And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.

 11And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

 12And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

 13And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.

 14And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.

 15These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.

 16And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.

 17And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.

 18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.

 19The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.

 20And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

 21And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

 22These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.

 23And the sons of Dan; Hushim.

 24And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.

 25These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.

 26All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six;

 27And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

 28And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

 29And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

 30And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.

Joseph's Family Given the Land of Goshen

Genesis 46

28And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

 29And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

 30And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.

 31And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;

 32And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.

 33And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

 34That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Genesis 47

 1Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.

 2And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.

 3And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

 4They said morever unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.

 5And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:

 6The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

 7And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

 8And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?

 9And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

 10And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

 11And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

 12And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.

 13And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.

 14And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.

 15And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.

 16And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.

 17And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.

 18When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:

 19Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.

 20And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.

 21And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

 22Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

 23Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.

 24And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.

 25And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.

 26And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

 27And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.

 28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.

Joseph Dies at 110

Genesis 50

 22And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.

 23And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.

 24And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

 25And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

 26So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

 

Joseph's Family Enslaved

Exodus 1

 6And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

 7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

 8Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

 9And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:

 10Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

 11Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

 12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

 13And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

 14And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

 15And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

 16And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

 17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

 18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

 19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

 20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

 21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

 22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

 (Please note that between the time Joseph's father entered into Egypt and the time Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt was about 300-400 years.)

Birth of Moses

For more on the story of Moses:  

• See the Moses & the Exodus Timeline

Exodus 2

 1And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

 2And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

 3And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

 4And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

 5And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

 6And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

 7Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

 8And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

 9And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.

 10And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
 

Dig Deeper!  If you have not done so already, follow the links below. 

• Genesis 28-50   (Linked to BibleGateway.com, chapter 28 only, but "The Rest of the Story" can be found in chapters 28-50.)
• Jacob and Esau
• Jacob's Flight and Exile
• The Night of Wrestling
• The Return to Canaan
• Joseph in Egypt
• Joseph and His Brothers
• Moses

Timeline Printing Instructions:

• Click here to view the sliced timeline ready to print at home. (15 pages make up the whole timeline & each one is 300dpi.
• Click here to view and download the 300dpi file, ready for printing commercially.  (This is much too large to print at home.)