At that time Solomon and all Israel with him celebrated a festival before the Lord our God for two entire weeks. This great assembly included people from all over the land, from Lebo Hamath in the north to the Brook of Egypt ¹  in the south. ² 

In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-seventh ¹  day of the twelfth month, ²  King Evil-Merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, pardoned ³  King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him ⁴  from prison.

Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had ¹  other ²  sons and daughters.

Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other ¹  sons and daughters.

He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again, ¹  but it did not return to him this time. ² 

And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof ¹  that I dug this well.” ² 

Ishmael lived a total of ¹  137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. ² 

Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. ¹  Then we will give you the younger one ²  too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” ³ 

Jacob ¹  had marital relations ²  with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban ³  for seven more years. ⁴ 

So he took his relatives ¹  with him and pursued Jacob ²  for seven days. ³  He caught up with ⁴  him in the hill country of Gilead.

Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ¹  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ² 

The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

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 

But seven years of famine will occur ¹  after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate ²  the land.

Pharaoh should do ¹  this – he should appoint ²  officials ³  throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt ⁴  during the seven years of abundance.

This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” ¹ 

Then the seven years of famine began, ¹  just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food.

These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, seven in all.

When they came to the threshing floor of Atad ¹  on the other side of the Jordan, they mourned there with very great and bitter sorrow. ²  There Joseph observed a seven day period of mourning for his father.