Friday in Season after Pentecost

1Verse 1. Then the LORD said to Moses, 2Verse 2. “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal-zephon. 3Verse 3. For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’ 4Verse 4. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did. 5Verse 5. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.” 6Verse 6. So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him. 7Verse 7. He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8Verse 8. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly. 9Verse 9. The Egyptians— all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops— pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon. 10Verse 10. As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11Verse 11. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12Verse 12. Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13Verse 13. But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14Verse 14. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 15Verse 15. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16Verse 16. And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17Verse 17. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen. 18Verse 18. The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

53Verse 53. When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54Verse 54. the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt. 55Verse 55. When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.” 56Verse 56. When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57Verse 57. And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth. 1Verse 1. When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2Verse 2. “Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.” 3Verse 3. So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4Verse 4. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.” 5Verse 5. So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan. 6Verse 6. Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7Verse 7. And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.” 8Verse 8. Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9Verse 9. Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” 10Verse 10. “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food. 11Verse 11. We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.” 12Verse 12. “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” 13Verse 13. But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.” 14Verse 14. Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies! 15Verse 15. And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16Verse 16. Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17Verse 17. So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,