Genesis 39–40
1 Now Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
2 The Lord was with Joseph, so that he became a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper. 4 Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. So he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put under his charge. 5 From the time that he had made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph. So the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and he had no concerns regarding anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome and well-built. 7 After a time, his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “My master does not concern himself with anything concerning me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my charge. 9 There is none greater in this house than I. He has kept nothing back from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10 She spoke to Joseph every day, but he did not listen to her about lying with her or being with her.
11 But it happened one day that Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was there. 12 She caught him by his clothing, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his clothing in her hand and fled and got outside.
13 When she saw that he had left his clothing in her hand and had fled outside, 14 she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in a Hebrew among us to humiliate us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his clothing with me, fled, and got outside.”
16 She laid up his clothing next to her until his master came home. 17 She spoke to him using these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me. 18 When I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his clothing with me and fled outside.”
19 When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” he became enraged. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
So he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 The keeper of the prison committed all the prisoners that were in the prison to the charge of Joseph. So whatever they did there, he was the one responsible for it. 23 The keeper of the prison did not concern himself with anything that was under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it to prosper.
Chapter 40
1 Sometime after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, with the chief of the cupbearers and with the chief of the bakers. 3 So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he attended to them.
They continued to be in confinement for some time. 5 Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation.
6 Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them and realized they were sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in the care of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
8 And they said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter for it.”
Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
9 The chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream, a vine was in front of me. 10 And in the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms shot forth and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it. The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand in the same way you did before when you were his cupbearer. 14 But remember me when it is well with you, and show kindness, I pray you, to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15 For I was indeed kidnapped out of the land of the Hebrews, and I have done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and I had three white baskets on my head. 17 In the uppermost basket there was all manner of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”
18 Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift your head from off you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
20 It happened on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position again, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. 22 However, he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them.
23 Yet, the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Matthew 11
1 When Jesus finished instructing His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 and said to Him, “Are You He who should come, or should we look for another?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 Blessed is he who does not fall away because of Me.”
7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written:
‘Look, I am sending My messenger before Your face,
who will prepare Your way before You.’
11 Truly I say to you, among those who are born of women, there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has forcefully advanced, and the strong take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah, who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the markets, calling to their friends, 17 saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge to you,
and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a gluttonous man, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
20 Then He began to reprimand the cities where most of His mighty works were done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the Day of Judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who is exalted toward heaven, will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you.”
25 At that time Jesus said, “I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to infants. 26 Even so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight.
27 “All things are delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son, except the Father. And no one knows the Father, except the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.
28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”