**********
Genesis 39-41:16 (Contemporary English Version)
Genesis 39
Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
1The Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the king's a] official in charge of the palace guard. 2-3So Joseph lived in the home of Potiphar, his Egyptian owner. Soon Potiphar realized that the LORD was helping Joseph to be successful in whatever he did. 4Potiphar liked Joseph and made him his personal assistant, putting him in charge of his house and all of his property. 5Because of Joseph, the LORD began to bless Potiphar's family and fields. 6Potiphar left everything up to Joseph, and with Joseph there, the only decision he had to make was what he wanted to eat.
Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7and Potiphar's wife soon noticed him. She asked him to make love to her, 8but he refused and said, "My master isn't worried about anything in his house, because he has placed me in charge of everything he owns. 9No one in my master's house is more important than I am. The only thing he hasn't given me is you, and that's because you are his wife. I won't sin against God by doing such a terrible thing as this." 10She kept begging Joseph day after day, but he refused to do what she wanted or even to go near her.
11One day, Joseph went to Potiphar's house to do his work, and none of the other servants were there. 12Potiphar's wife grabbed hold of his coat and said, "Make love to me!" Joseph ran out of the house, leaving her hanging onto his coat.
13When this happened, 14she called in her servants and said, "Look! This Hebrew has come just to make fools of us. He tried to rape me, but I screamed for help. 15And when he heard me scream, he ran out of the house, leaving his coat with me."
16Potiphar's wife kept Joseph's coat until her husband came home. 17Then she said, "That Hebrew slave of yours tried to rape me! 18But when I screamed for help, he left his coat and ran out of the house."
19Potiphar became very angry 20and threw Joseph in the same prison where the king's prisoners were kept.
While Joseph was in prison, 21the LORD helped him and was good to him. He even made the jailer like Joseph so much that 22he put him in charge of the other prisoners and of everything that was done in the jail. 23The jailer did not worry about anything, because the LORD was with Joseph and made him successful in all that he did.
Genesis 40
Joseph Tells the Meaning of the Prisoners' Dreams
1-3While Joseph was in prison, both the king's b] personal servant c] and his chief cook made the king angry. So he had them thrown into the same prison with Joseph. 4They spent a long time in prison, and Potiphar, the official in charge of the palace guard, made Joseph their servant. 5One night each of the two men had a dream, but their dreams had different meanings. 6The next morning, when Joseph went to see the men, he could tell they were upset, 7and he asked, "Why are you so worried today?"
8"We each had a dream last night," they answered, "and there is no one to tell us what they mean."
Joseph replied, "Doesn't God know the meaning of dreams? Now tell me what you dreamed."
9The king's personal servant told Joseph, "In my dream I saw a vine 10with three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its grapes became ripe. 11I held the king's cup and squeezed the grapes into it, then I gave the cup to the king."
12Joseph said:
This is the meaning of your dream. The three branches stand for three days, 13and in three days the king will pardon you. He will make you his personal servant again, and you will serve him his wine, just as you used to do. 14But when these good things happen, please don't forget to tell the king about me, so I can get out of this place. 15I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here in Egypt I haven't done anything to deserve being thrown in jail.
16When the chief cook saw that Joseph had given a good meaning to the dream, he told Joseph, "I also had a dream. In it I was carrying three breadbaskets stacked on top of my head. 17The top basket was full of all kinds of baked things for the king, but birds were eating them."
18Joseph said:
This is the meaning of your dream. The three baskets are three days, 19and in three days the king will cut off your head. He will hang your body on a pole, and birds will come and peck at it.
20Three days later, while the king was celebrating his birthday with a dinner for his officials, he sent for his personal servant and the chief cook. 21He put the personal servant back in his old job 22and had the cook put to death.
Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would, 23but the king's personal servant completely forgot about Joseph.
Genesis 41
Joseph Interprets the King's Dreams
1Two years later the king d] of Egypt dreamed he was standing beside the Nile River. 2Suddenly, seven fat, healthy cows came up from the river and started eating grass along the bank. 3Then seven ugly, skinny cows came up out of the river and 4ate the fat, healthy cows. When this happened, the king woke up. 5The king went back to sleep and had another dream. This time seven full heads of grain were growing on a single stalk. 6Later, seven other heads of grain appeared, but they were thin and scorched by the east wind. 7The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven full heads. Again the king woke up, and it had only been a dream.
8The next morning the king was upset. So he called in his magicians and wise men and told them what he had dreamed. None of them could tell him what the dreams meant.
9The king's personal servant said:
Now I remember what I was supposed to do. 10When you were angry with me and your chief cook, you threw us both in jail in the house of the captain of the guard. 11One night we both had dreams, and each dream had a different meaning. 12A young Hebrew, who was a servant of the captain of the guard, was there with us at the time. When we told him our dreams, he explained what each of them meant, 13and everything happened just as he said it would. I got my job back, and the cook was put to death.
14The king sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of jail. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to the king.
15The king said to him, "I had a dream, yet no one can explain what it means. I am told that you can interpret dreams."
16"Your Majesty," Joseph answered, "I can't do it myself, but God can give a good meaning to your dreams."
Footnotes:
Genesis 39:1 the king's: See the note at 12.15.
Genesis 40:1 the king's: See the note at 12.15.
Genesis 40:1 personal servant: The Hebrew text has "cup bearer," an important and trusted official in the royal court, who personally served wine to the king.
Genesis 41:1 the king: See the note at 12.15.
Matthew 12:46-13:23 (Contemporary English Version)
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
(Mark 3.31-35; Luke 8.19-21)
46While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers came and stood outside because they wanted to talk with him. 47Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to talk with you." a] 48Jesus answered, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" 49Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "These are my mother and my brothers! 50Anyone who obeys my Father in heaven is my brother or sister or mother."
Matthew 13
A Story about a Farmer
(Mark 4.1-9; Luke 8.4-8)
1That same day Jesus left the house and went out beside Lake Galilee, where he sat down to teach. b] 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he had to sit in a boat, while the people stood on the shore. 3Then he taught them many things by using stories. He said: A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. 7Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants. 8But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was scattered. 9If you have ears, pay attention!
Why Jesus Used Stories
(Mark 4.10-12; Luke 8.9,10)
10Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you use nothing but stories when you speak to the people?"
11Jesus answered:
I have explained the secrets about the kingdom of heaven to you, but not to others. 12Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose even what little they have. 13I use stories when I speak to them because when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand. 14So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,
"These people will listen
and listen,
but never understand.
They will look and look,
but never see.
15All of them have
stubborn minds!
Their ears are stopped up,
and their eyes are covered.
They cannot see or hear
or understand.
If they could,
they would turn to me,
and I would heal them."
16But God has blessed you, because your eyes can see and your ears can hear! 17Many prophets and good people were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you that they did not see or hear.
Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer
(Mark 4.13-20; Luke 8.11-15)
18Now listen to the meaning of the story about the farmer:
19The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message about the kingdom, but don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the message from their hearts. 20The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it right away. 21But they don't have deep roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
22The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 23The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as a hundred or sixty or thirty times what was planted.
Footnotes:
Matthew 12:47 with you: Some manuscripts do not have verse 47.
Matthew 13:1 sat down to teach: See the note at 5.1.
Psalm 17:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 17
(A prayer by David.)
The Prayer of an Innocent Person
1I am innocent, LORD!
Won't you listen as I pray
and beg for help?
I am honest!
Please hear my prayer.
2Only you can say
that I am innocent,
because only your eyes
can see the truth.
3You know my heart,
and even during the night
you have tested me
and found me innocent.
I have made up my mind
never to tell a lie.
4I don't do like others.
I obey your teachings
and am not cruel.
5I have followed you,
without ever stumbling.
6I pray to you, God,
because you will help me.
Listen and answer my prayer!
7Show your wonderful love.
Your mighty arm protects those
who run to you
for safety
from their enemies.
8Protect me as you would
your very own eyes;
hide me in the shadow
of your wings.
9Don't let my brutal enemies
attack from all sides
and kill me.
10They refuse to show mercy,
and they keep bragging.
11They have caught up with me!
My enemies are everywhere,
eagerly hoping to smear me
in the dirt.
12They are like hungry lions
hunting for food,
or like young lions
hiding in ambush.
13Do something, LORD!
Attack and defeat them.
Take your sword and save me
from those evil people.
14Use your powerful arm
and rescue me
from the hands of mere humans
whose world won't last. a] You provide food
for those you love.
Their children have plenty,
and their grandchildren
will have more than enough.
15I am innocent, LORD,
and I will see your face!
When I awake, all I want
is to see you as you are.
Footnotes:
Psalm 17:14 last: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
Proverbs 3:33-35 (Contemporary English Version)
33He places a curse on the home
of everyone who is evil,
but he blesses the home
of every good person.
34The LORD sneers at those
who sneer at him,
but he is kind to everyone
who is humble.
35You will be praised
if you are wise,
but you will be disgraced
if you are a stubborn fool.
No comments:
Post a Comment