When ¹  the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines; when the olive trees do not produce, ²  and the fields yield no crops; ³  when the sheep disappear ⁴  from the pen, and there are no cattle in the stalls,

Before that time there was no compensation for man or animal, nor was there any relief from adversity for those who came and went, because I had pitted everybody – each one – against everyone else.

For when you offer blind animals as a sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer the lame and sick, ¹  is that not wrong as well? Indeed, try offering them ²  to your governor! Will he be pleased with you ³  or show you favor?” asks the Lord who rules over all.

Pairs ¹  of clean animals, of unclean animals, of birds, and of everything that creeps along the ground,

Later the older daughter said ¹  to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby ²  to have sexual relations with us, ³  according to the way of all the world.

Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ¹  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ²  my wife.’

He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, ¹  but the God of my father has been with me.

If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ¹  that God is witness to your actions.” ² 

One day ¹  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ²  were there in the house.

The warden did not concern himself ¹  with anything that was in Joseph’s ²  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

They told him, “We both had dreams, ¹  but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them ²  to me.”

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, ¹  and there is no one who can interpret ²  it. But I have heard about you, that ³  you can interpret dreams.” ⁴ 

The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this ¹  to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” ² 

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning ¹  as you are!

Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, ¹  until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.

They replied, “Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. ¹  We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, ²  and one is no longer alive.” ³ 

We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. ¹  One is no longer alive, ²  and the youngest is with our father at this time ³  in the land of Canaan.’

But if you will not send him, we won’t go down there because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

When he sees the boy is not with us, ¹  he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave.