Thursday in Season after Pentecost

17Verse 17. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, though it was shorter. For God said, “If the people face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18Verse 18. So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle. 19Verse 19. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.” 20Verse 20. They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21Verse 21. And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. 22Verse 22. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.

12Verse 12. Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem. 13Verse 13. Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied. 14Verse 14. Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem, 15Verse 15. a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?” 16Verse 16. “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?” 17Verse 17. “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18Verse 18. Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. 19Verse 19. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. 20Verse 20. “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!” 21Verse 21. When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said. 22Verse 22. “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father. 23Verse 23. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe — the robe of many colors he was wearing — 24Verse 24. and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it. 25Verse 25. And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt. 26Verse 26. Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27Verse 27. Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed. 28Verse 28. So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. 29Verse 29. When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes, 30Verse 30. returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?” 31Verse 31. Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. 32Verse 32. They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33Verse 33. His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34Verse 34. Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35Verse 35. All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No, ” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36Verse 36. Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.