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And they said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come 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." And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said “Let us not kill him." And Reuben said unto them, "Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilder ness, and lay no hand upon him;" that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

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And 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. And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread and they lift up their eyes, and looked, and be hold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh, go ing to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, "What profit is it, if we slay our bros ther, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him: for he is our brother and our flesh;" and his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites, mer. chantmen, and they drew and lift up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

And Reuben returned unto the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit: and he rent his clothes. And he re turned unto his brethren and said, "The child is not, and I, whither shall I go?"

And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood. And 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." And he knew it, and said, "It is my son's coat: an evil beast hath de voured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons, and all his daughters rose up to comfort him: but be 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.

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

III. Story of Joseph.

PART II.

AND Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites which had brought him down thither. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And 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. And 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. And 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 favored.

And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said "Lie with me." But 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. There is none greater in this house than I: neither hath he kept any thing from me, but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" And 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. And 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. And she caught him by his

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garment, saying, "Lie with me:" and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, that she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us, to mock us: he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a lond voice. And 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." And she laid up his garment by her, until her lord came home. And 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. And it came to pass as I lift up my voice, and cried, that he left his garment with me and fled out." And 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," wrath was kindled. And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's pri soners were bound; and he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And 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. The 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.

that his

IV. Story of Joseph.

PART III.

And 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. And Pharaoh was wrath against. two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

And the

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

And 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 ing of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and behold, they were sad. And 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?" And 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." And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, a vine was before me: And 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. And Pharaohs cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaohs cup: and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand." And Joseph said unto him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days: Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore the unto thy place, and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. But think on me, when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. For 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.”

When 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. And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bake meats for Pharaoh, and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head." And Joseph answered and said,

This is the interpretation thereof, the three baskets are three days: Yet 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."

And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's

Birth day, 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. And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.

V. Story of Joseph.

PART IV.

AND it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and behold he stood by the river. And behold, there came up out of the river, seven wellfavoured kine, and fat-fleshed, and they fed in a meadow. And behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill-favoured, and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other kine, upon the brink of the river. And the ill-favoured and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

And he slept, and dreamed the second time: and behold, seven ears of corn, came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And behold, seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears.

And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

And 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.

Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh saying, "I do remember my faults this day. Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker. And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he: we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

And 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 accord

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