When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble. Proverbs 4:12

Genesis 44-45

Benjamin and the Silver Cup

¹ Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s bags with food, as much as they can carry and put each man’s money in the opening of his bag. ² Put my cup, the silver cup, in the bag’s opening of the youngest, with his grain money.”

And the steward did according to what Joseph had told him.

³ As soon as the morning light appeared, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. ⁴ When they had left the city and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? ⁵ Isn’t this the cup from which my lord drinks and by which he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’ ”

⁶ He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

⁷ They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! ⁸ The money, which we found in the opening of our bags, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? ⁹ With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

¹⁰ He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave, and you will be blameless.”

¹¹ Then they hurried, and each man put his bag down on the ground, and each man opened his bag. ¹² He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. ¹³ Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

¹⁴ Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

¹⁵ Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?”

¹⁶ Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we say? How will we clear ourselves? God has made known the iniquity of your servants. We are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”

¹⁷ He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave, but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Judah Pleads for Benjamin

¹⁸ Then Judah came near to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word to my lord privately and do not let your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh. ¹⁹ My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’

²⁰ We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man and a child of his old age, a little one whose brother is dead. He alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’

²¹ You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

²² We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

²³ You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will never see my face again.’

²⁴ When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

²⁵ Our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ ²⁶ We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’ ²⁷ Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. ²⁸ One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces,” and I haven’t seen him since. ²⁹ If you take this one also from me and harm comes to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’

³⁰ Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy’s life, ³¹ it will happen, when he sees that the boy is not with us, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to the grave. ³² For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’

³³ Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave, and let the boy go up with his brothers. ³⁴ For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the tragedy that will come on my father.”

Genesis 45

Joseph Reveals his Identity

¹ Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood before him, and he called out, “Get everyone out from my presence!”

No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. ² He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.

³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Does my father still live?”

His brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified at his presence. ⁴ Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.”

They came near and he said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ Now don’t be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five more years in which there will be no plowing or harvest. ⁷ God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your life through a great deliverance.

Joseph Sends for his Father

⁹ Hurry, and go up to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t wait. ¹⁰ You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children’s children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹ There I will provide for you, for there are still five more years of famine, lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have.” ’ ¹² Your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is I who am speaking to you. ¹³ You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father down here.”

¹⁴ He fell on the shoulders of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. ¹⁵ He kissed all his brothers and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.

Pharaoh Invites Jacob to Egypt

¹⁶ The report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. ¹⁷ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go. Travel to the land of Canaan. ¹⁸ Take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’ ¹⁹ Now you are commanded to do this: Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives and bring your father and come. ²⁰ Also, do not concern yourselves with your belongings, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.”

²¹ The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh and gave them provision for the way. ²² He gave each one of them changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. ²³ He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provision for his father for the way.

²⁴ So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “See that you don’t quarrel on the way.”

The Revival of Jacob

²⁵ They went up out of Egypt and came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father. ²⁶ They told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” He was stunned and could not believe it. ²⁷ They told him everything that Joseph had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived.

²⁸ Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Matthew 14:14-36

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

¹⁴ Jesus went out, and he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁵ When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.”

¹⁸ He said, “Bring them here to me.” ¹⁹ He commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass, and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, broke them, and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ They all ate and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces. ²¹ Those who ate were about 5,000 men, in addition to women and children.

Jesus Walks on Water

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and to go ahead of him to the other side while he sent the crowds away. ²³ After he had sent the crowds away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone. ²⁴ But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was against it. ²⁵ In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Have courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.”

²⁸ Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”

²⁹ He said, “Come!”

Peter stepped down from the boat and walked on the waters to come to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

³² When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”

Jesus Heals at Gennesaret

³⁴ When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. ³⁵ When the people of that place recognized him, they sent word into all that surrounding region and brought to him all who were sick; ³⁶ and they begged him that they might just touch the fringe of his garment. As many as touched it were made whole.

Psalm 18:37-50

³⁷ I pursue my enemies, and overtake them.
I do not turn away until they are consumed.
³⁸ I strike them through, so that they are not able to rise.
They fall under my feet.

³⁹ For you have armed me with strength to the battle.
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
⁴⁰ You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
that I might cut off those who hate me.
⁴¹ They cried, but there was no one to save;
to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
⁴² Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind.
I cast them out as the mire of the streets.

⁴³ You have delivered me from the strife of the people.
You have made me the head of nations.
A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me.
Foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
⁴⁵ Foreigners shall fade away,
and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.

⁴⁶ The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock.
Exalted be the God of my salvation,
⁴⁷ the God who executes vengeance for me,
and subdues peoples under me.
⁴⁸ He rescues me from my enemies.
Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me.
You deliver me from the violent man.
⁴⁹ Therefore I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the nations,
and will sing praises to your name.

⁵⁰ He gives great deliverance to his king,
and shows loving kindness to his anointed,
to David and to his offspring, forevermore.

Proverbs 4:11-13

¹¹ I have taught you in the way of wisdom.
I have led you in straight paths.
¹² When you go, your steps will not be hampered.
When you run, you will not stumble.
¹³ Take firm hold of instruction.
Do not let her go.
Keep her, for she is your life.

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