Bible in a Year.

On the twenty-fifth day, we see administrative and paternal wisdom. Genesis 47-48 shows Joseph wisely managing the famine in Egypt and Jacob blessing Joseph's sons, folding his hands to give Ephraim precedence over Manasseh. Job 39-40 continues the divine response, questioning Job about the wonders of animal creation and challenging him to acknowledge his limitations before the Almighty. Psalm 16 expresses absolute trust in God as our inheritance and portion, declaring that in His presence there is fullness of joy.

Chapter 47

1. Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are come out of the land of Chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of Gessen.

2. Five men also the last of his brethren, he presented before the king:

3. And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: Re thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.

4. We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be in the land of Gessen.

5. The king therefore said to Joseph: Thy father and thy brethren are come to thee.

6. The land of Egypt is before thee: make them dwell in the best place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle.

7. After this Joseph brought in his to the king, and presented him before him: and he blessed him.

8. And being asked by him: How many are the days of the years of thy life?

9. He answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few, and evil, and they are not come up to the days of the pilgrimage of my fathers.

10. And blessing the king, he went out.

11. But Joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Ramesses, as Pharao had commanded.

12. And he nourished them, and all his father's house, allowing food to every one.

13. For in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had op- pressed the land: more especially of Egypt and Chanaan.

14. Out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which they bought, and brought it into the king's treasure.

15. And when the buyers wanted money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: Give us bread: why should we die in thy presence, having now net money.

16. And he answered them: Bring your cattle, and for them I will give you food, if you have no money.

17. And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, end asses and he maintained them that year for the exchange of their cattle.

18. And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our bodies and our lands.

19. Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thins, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king's servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.

20. So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. And he brought it into Pharao's hands:

21. And all its people from one end of the borders of Egypt, even to the other end thereof,

22. Except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the public stores, and therefore they were not forced to sell their possessions.

23. Then Joseph said to the people : Be- hold as you see, both you and your lands belong to Pharao: take seed and sow the fields,

24. That you may have corn. The fifth part you shall give to the king: the other four you shall have for seed, and for food for your families and children.

25. And they answered: Our life is in thy hand: only let my lord look favourably upon us, and we will gladly serve the king.

26. From that time unto this day, in the whole land of Egypt, the fifth part is paid to the king, and it is become as a law, except the land of the priests, which was free from this covenant.

27. So Israel dwelt in Egypt, that is, in the land of Gessen, and possessed it: and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly.

28. And he lived in it seventeen years: and all the days of his life came to a hundred and forty-seven years.

29. And when he saw that the day of his death drew nigh, he called his son Joseph, and said to him: If I have found favour in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh; and thou shalt shew me this kindness and truth, not to bury me in Egypt:

30. But I will sleep with my fathers, end thou shalt take me away out of this land, and bury me in the burying place of my ancestors. And Joseph answered him: I will do what thou hast commanded.

31. And he said: Swear then to me. And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the bed's head.

Chapter 48

1. After these things, it was told Joseph that his father was sick: and he set out to go to him, taking his two sons Manasses and Ephraim.

2. And it was told the old man: Behold I thy son Joseph cometh to thee. And being strengthened he sat on his bed.

3. And when Joseph was come in to him, he said : God Almighty appeared to me at Lute, which is in the land of Chanaan: and he blessed me,

4. And he said : I will cause thee to increase and multiply, and I will make of thee a multitude of people: and I will give this land to thee, and to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

5. So thy two sons who were born to thee in the land of Egypt before I came hither to thee, shall be mine: Ephraim and Manasses shall be reputed to me as Ruben and Simeon.

6. But the rest whom thou shalt have after them, shall be thine, and shall be called by the name of their brethren in their possessions.

7. For, when I came out of Mesopotamia, Rachel died from me in the land of Ohanaan in the very journey, and it was springtime: and I was going to Ephrata, and I buried her near the way of Ephrata, which by another name is called Bethlehem.

8. Then seeing his sons, he said to him: Who are these?

9. He answered: They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said: Bring them to me that I may bless them.

10. For Israel's eyes were dim by reason of his great age, and he could not see clearly. And when they were brought to him, he kissed and embraced them.

11. And said to his son: I am not deprived of seeing thee: moreover God hath shewed me thy seed.

12. And when Joseph had taken them from his father's lap, he bowed down with his face to the ground.

13. And he set Ephraim on his right bend, that is, towards the left hand of Israel; but Manasses on his left hand, to wit, towards his father's right hand, and brought them near to him.

14. But he stretching forth his right hand, put it upon the head of Ephraim the younger brother; and the left upon the head of Manasses who was the elder, changing his hands.

15. And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God that feedeth me from my youth until this day;

16. The angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers Abraham, and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.

17. And Joseph seeing that his father had put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, was much displeased: and taking his father's hand he tried to lift it from Ephraims head, and to remove it to the head of Manasses.

18. And he said to his father: It should not be so, my father: for this is the first- born, put thy right hand upon his head.

19. But he refusing, said: I know, my son, I know: and this also shall become peoples, and shall be multiplied: but this younger brother shall be greater than he: and his seed shall grow into nations.

20. And he blessed them at that time, saying: In thee shall Israel be blessed, and it shall be said: God do to thee as to Ephraim, and as to Manasses. And he set Ephraim before Manasses.

21. And he said to Joseph his son: Be- hold I die, and God will be with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers.

22. I give thee a portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorrhite a with my sword and bow.

Chapter 39

1. Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth among the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they fawn?

2. Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

3. They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.

4. Their young are weaned and go to feed : they go forth, and return not to them.

5. Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?

6. To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the barren land.

7. He scorneth the multitude of the city, he heareth not the cry of the driver.

8. He looketh round about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh for every green thing.

9. Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?

10. Canst thou bind the rhinoceros with thy thong to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?

11. Wilt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours to him?

12. Wilt thou trust him that he will render thee the seed, and gather it into thy barnfloor?

13. The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.

14. When she leaveth her eggs on the earth, thou perhaps wilt warm them in the dust.

15. She forgetteth that the foot may tread upon them, or that the beasts of the field may break them.

16. She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vain, no fear constraining her.

17. For God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he given her understanding.

18. When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high : she scorneth the horse and his rider.

19. Wilt thou give strength to the horse, or clothe his neck with neighing?

20. Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror.

21. He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.

22. He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword,

23. Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter.

24. Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.

25. When he heareth the trumpet he saith : Ha, ha : he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.

26. Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?

27. Will the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest in high places?

28. She abideth among the rocks, and dwelleth among cragged flints, and stony hills, where there is no access.

29. From thence she looketh for the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

30. Her young ones shall suck up blood : and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is immediately there.

31. And the Lord went on, and said to Job :

32. Shall he that contendeth with God be so easily silenced? surely he that reproveth God, ought to answer him.

33. Then Job answered the Lord, and said :

34. One thing I have spoken, which I wish I had not said : and another, to which I will add no more.

Chapter 40

1. And the Lord answering Job out of the whirlwind, said :

2. Gird up thy loins like a man : I will ask thee, and do thou tell me.

3. Wilt thou make void my judgment : and condemn me, that thou mayst be justified?

4. And hast thou an arm like God, and canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

5. Clothe thyself with beauty, and set thyself up on high and be glorious, and put on goodly garments.

6. Scatter the proud in thy indignation, and behold every arrogant man, and humble him.

7. Look on all that are proud, and confound them, and crush the wicked in their place.

8. Hide them in the dust together, and plunge their faces into the pit.

9. Then I will confess that thy right hand is able to save thee.

10. Behold behemoth whom I made with thee, he eateth grass like an ox.

11. His strength is in his loins, and his force in the navel of his belly.

12. He setteth up his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his testicles are wrapped together.

13. His bones are like pipes of brass, his gristle like plates of iron.

14. He is the beginning of the ways of God, who made him, he will apply his sword.

15. To him the mountains bring forth grass : there all the beasts of the field shall play.

16. He sleepeth under the shadow, in the covert of the reed, and in moist places.

17. The shades cover his shadow, the willows of the brook shall compass him about.

18. Behold, he will drink up a river, and not wonder : and he trusteth that the Jordan may run into his mouth.

19. In his eyes as with a hook he shall take him, and bore through his nostrils with stakes.

20. Canst thou draw out the leviathan with a hook, or canst thou tie his tongue with a cord?

21. Canst thou put a ring in his nose, or bore through his jaw with a buckle?

22. Will he make many supplications to thee, or speak soft words to thee?

23. Will he make a covenant with thee, and wilt thou take him to be a servant for ever?

24. Shalt thou play with him as with a bird, or tie him up for thy handmaids?

25. Shall friends cut him in pieces, shall merchants divide him?

26. Wilt thou fill nets with his skin, and the cabins of fishes with his head?

27. Lay thy hand upon him : remember the battle, and speak no more.

28. Behold his hope shall fail him, and in the sight of all he shall be cast down.

1. The inscription of a title to David himself. Preserve me, O Lord, for I have put trust in thee.

2. I have said to the Lord, thou art my God, for thou hast no need of my goods.

3. To the saints, who are in his land, he hath made wonderful all my desires in them.

4. Their infirmities were multiplied: afterwards they made haste. I will not gather together their meetings for blood offerings: nor will I be mindful of their names by my lips.

5. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: it is thou that wilt restore my inheritance to me.

6. The lines are fallen unto me in goodly places: for my inheritance is goodly to me.

7. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me understanding: moreover my reins also have corrected me even till night.

8. I set the Lord always in my sight: for he is at my right hand, that I be not moved.

9. Therefore my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope.

10. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; nor wilt then give thy holy one to see corruption.

11. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand are delights even to the end.