She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ¹  her so that she can bear ²  children ³  for me ⁴  and I can have a family through her.” ⁵ 

Judah said, “Let her keep the things ¹  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ²  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

After three months Judah was told, ¹  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ²  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ³  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent ¹  seven years of famine.

He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us ¹  so that we may live ²  and not die.” ³ 

You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, ¹  you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!” ¹ 

Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, ¹  for God sent me ²  ahead of you to preserve life!

So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser ¹  to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

So tell ¹  my father about all my honor in Egypt and about everything you have seen. But bring my father down here quickly!” ² 

After these things Joseph was told, ¹  “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.

When Jacob was told, ¹  “Your son Joseph has just ²  come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you ¹  and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew ¹  women are not like the Egyptian women – for the Hebrew women ²  are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!” ³ 

And now indeed ¹  the cry ²  of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them. ³ 

and I said to you, ‘Let my son go that he may serve ¹  me,’ but since you have refused to let him go, ²  I will surely kill ³  your son, your firstborn!”’”

Go to Pharaoh in the morning when ¹  he goes out to the water. Position yourself ²  to meet him by the edge of the Nile, ³  and take ⁴  in your hand the staff ⁵  that was turned into a snake.

then the hand of the Lord will surely bring ¹  a very terrible plague ²  on your livestock in the field, on the horses, the donkeys, the camels, ³  the herds, and the flocks.

So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, ¹  my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.” ² 

The stones were for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, corresponding to the number of ¹  their names. Each name corresponding to one of the twelve tribes was like the engravings of a seal.