Bible in a Year.

On the twenty-fourth day, we reach climactic moments. Genesis 45-46 recounts Joseph's moving revelation to his brothers, his gracious forgiveness, and the removal of Jacob's entire family to Egypt with seventy people. Job 37-38 marks a dramatic turning point when God finally answers Job from the whirlwind, questioning him about the mysteries of creation. Proverbs 4:20-27 exhorts us to guard our hearts above all else, for from them flow the issues of life, and to keep our eyes fixed on the right path.

Chapter 45

1. Joseph could no longer refrain himself before many that stood by: whereupon he commanded that all should go out, and no stranger be present at their knowing one another.

2. And he lifted up his voice with weeping, which the Egyptians and all the house of Pharao heard.

3. And he said to his brethren: I am Joseph: is my father yet living? His brethren could no answer him, being struck with exceeding great fear.

4. And he said mildly to them: Come nearer to me. And when they were come near him, he said: I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

5. Be not afraid, and let it not seem to you a hard case that you sold me into these countries: for God sent me before you into Egypt for your preservation.

6. For it is two years since the famine began to be upon the land, and five years more remain, wherein there can be neither ploughing nor reaping.

7. And God sent me before, that you may be preserved upon the earth, and may have food to live.

8. Not by your counsel was I sent hither, but by the will of God: who hath made me as it were a father to Pharao, and lord of his whold house, and governor in all the land of Egypt.

9. Make haste, and go ye up to my father, and say to him: Thus saith thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of the whole land of Egypt: come down to me, linger not.

10. And thou shalt dwell in the land of Gessen: and thou shalt be near me, thou and thy sons, and thy son's sons, thy sheep, and thy gerds, and all things that thou hast.

11. And there I will feed thee, (for there are yet five years of famine remaining,) lest both thou perish, and thy house, and all things that thou hast.

12. Behold, your eyes, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaketh to you.

13. You shall tell my father of all my glory, and all things that you have seen in Egypt: make haste and bring him to me.

14. And falling upon the neck of his brother Benjamin, he embraced him and wept: and Benjamin in like manner wept also on his neck.

15. And Joseph kissed all his brethren, and wept upon every one of them: after which they were emboldened to ,peak to him.

16. And it was heard, and the fame was abroad in the king's court: The brethren of Joseph are come: and Pharao with all his family was glad.

17. And he spoke to Joseph that he should give orders to his brethren, saying : Load your beasts, and go into the land of Chanaan.

18. And bring away from thence your father and kindred, and come to me: and I will give you all the good things of Egypt, that you may eat the marrow of the land.

19. Give orders also that they take wagons out of the land of Egypt, for/ the carriage of their children and their wives: and say: Take up your father, and make haste to come with all speed:

20. And leave nothing of your house- hold stuff: for all the riches of Egypt shall be yours.

21. And the sons of Israel did as they were bid. And Joseph gave them wagons according to Pharao's commandment: and provisions for the way.

22. He ordered also to be brought out for every one of them two robes: but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver with Ave robes of the best:

23. Sending to his father as much money and raiment, adding besides ten he asses to carry off all the riches of Egypt, and as many she asses, carrying wheat and bread for the journey.

24. So he sent away his brethren, and at their departing said to them: Be not angry in the way.

25. And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Chanaan to their father Jacob.

26. And they told him, saying: Joseph thy son is living: and he is ruler in all the land of Egypt. Which when Jacob heard, he awaked as it were out of a deep sleep, yet did not believe them.

27. They, on the other side, told the whole order of the thing. And when he saw the wagons and all that he had sent his spirit revived,

28. And he said: It is enough for me, if Joseph my son be yet living: Iwill go and see him before I die.

Chapter 46

1. And Israel taking his journey, with all that he had, came to the well of the oath, and killing victims there to the God of his father Isaac,

2. He heard him by a vision in the night calling him, and saying to him: Jacob, Jacob. And he answered him: Lo, here I am.

3. God said to him: I am the most mighty God of thy father: fear not, go down into Egypt, for I will make a great nation of thee there.

4. I will go down with thee thither, and will bring thee back again from thence: Joseph also shall put his hands upon thy eyes.

5. And Jacob rose up from the well of the oath: and his sons took him up, with their children and wives in the wagons, which Pharao had sent to carry the old man,

6. And all that he had in the land of Chanaan, and he came into Egypt with all his seed:"

7. His sons, and grandsons, daughters, and all his offspring together.

8. And these are the names of the children of Israel, that entered into Egypt, he and his children. His firstborn Ruben,

9. The sons of Ruben: Henoch and Phallu, and Hesron and Charmi.

10. The sons of Simeon: Jamuel and Jamin and Ahod, and Jachin and Sohar, and Saul the son of a woman of Chanaan.

11. The sons of Levi: Gerson and Caath and Merari.

12. The sons of Juda: Her and Onan and Sela and Phares and Zara. And Her and Onan died in the land of Chanaan. And sons were born to Phares: Hesron and Hamul.

13. The sons of Issachar: Thola and Phua and Job and Semron.

14. The sons of Zabulon: Sared and Elo and Jahelel.

15. These are the sons of Lia, whom she bore in Mesopotamia of Syria, with Dins his daughter. All the souls of her sons and daughters, thirty-three.

16. The sons of Cad: Sephian and Haggi and Suni and Esebon and Heri and Arodi and Areli.

17. The sons of Beer: Jamne and Jesua and Jessuri and Beria, and Sara their sister. The sons of Beria: Heber and Melchiel.

18. These are the sons of Zelpha, whom Laban gave to Lia his daughter. And these she bore to Jacob, sixteen souls.

19. The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

20. And sons were born to Joseph, in the land of Egypt, whom Aseneth the daughter of Putiphare priest of Heliopolis bore him: Manasses and Ephraim.

21. The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Bechor and Asbel and Gera and Naaman and Echi and Ros and Mophim and Ophim and Ared.

22. These are the sons of Rachel, whom she bore to Jacob: all the souls, four- teen.

23. The sons of Dan: Husim.

24. The sons of Nephtali: Jaziel and Guni and Jeser and Sallem.

25. These are the sons of Bala, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter: and these she bore to Jacob: all the souls, seven.

26. All the souls that went with Jacob into Egypt, and that came out of his thigh, besides his sons' wives, sixty-six.

27. And the sons of Joseph, that were born to him in the land of Egypt, two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, that entered into Egypt, were seventy.

28. And he sent Juda before him to Joseph, to tell him; and that he should meet him in Gessen.

29. And when he was come thither, Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet his father, in the same place: and seeing him, he fell upon his neck, and embracing him wept.

30. And the father said to Joseph: Now shall I die with joy, because I have seen thy face, and leave thee alive.

31. And Joseph said to his brethren, and to all his father's house: I will go up, and will tell Pharao, and will say to him: My brethren and my father's house, that were in the land of Chanaan, are come to me:

32. And the men are shepherds, and their occupation is to feed cattle: their flocks and herds, and all they have, they have brought with them.

33. And when he shall call you, and shall say: What is your occupation?

34. You shall answer: We thy servants are shepherds, from our infancy until now, both we and our fathers. And this you shall say, that you may dwell in the land of Gessen, because the Egyptians have all shepherds in abomination.

Chapter 37

1. At this my heart trembleth, and is moved out of its place.

2. Hear ye attentively the terror of his voice, and the sound that cometh out of his mouth.

3. He beholdeth under all the heavens, and his light is upon the ends of the earth.

4. After it a noise shall roar, he shall thunder with the voice of his majesty, and shall not be found out, when his voice shall be heard.

5. God shall thunder wonderfully with his voice, he that doth great and unsearchable things.

6. He commandeth the snow to go down upon the earth, and the winter rain, and the shower of his strength.

7. He sealeth up the hand of all men, that every one may know his works.

8. Then the beast shall go into his covert, and shall abide in his den.

9. Out of the inner parts shall a tempest come, and cold out of the north.

10. When God bloweth there cometh frost, and again the waters are poured out abundantly.

11. Corn desireth clouds, and the clouds spread their light :

12. Which go round about, whithersoever the will of him that governeth them shall lead them, to whatsoever he shall command them upon the face of the whole earth :

13. Whether in one tribe, or in his own land, or in what place soever of his mercy he shall command them to be found.

14. Hearken to these things, Job : Stand, and consider the wondrous works of God.

15. Dost thou know when God commanded the rains, to shew his light of his clouds?

16. Knowest thou the great paths of the clouds, and the perfect knowledges?

17. Are not thy garments hot, when the south wind blows upon the earth?

18. Thou perhaps hast made the heavens with him, which are most strong, as if they were of molten brass.

19. Shew us what we may say to him : for we are wrapped up in darkness.

20. Who shall tell him the things I speak? even if a man shall speak, he shall be swallowed up.

21. But now they see not the light : the air on a sudden shall be thickened into clouds, and the wind shall pass and drive them away.

22. Cold cometh out of the north, and to God praise with fear.

23. We cannot find him worthily : he is great in strength, and in judgment, and in justice, and he is ineffable.

24. Therefore men shall fear him, and all that seem to themselves to be wise, shall not dare to behold him.

Chapter 38

1. Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind, and said :

2. Who is this that wrappeth up sentences in unskillful words?

3. Gird up thy loins like a man : I will ask thee, and answer thou me.

4. Where wast thou when I laid up the foundations of the earth ? tell me if thou hast understanding.

5. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6. Upon what are its bases grounded? or who laid the corner stone thereof,

7. When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful melody?

8. Who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as issuing out of the womb :

9. when I made a cloud the garment thereof, and wrapped it in a mist as in swaddling bands?

10. I set my bounds around it, and made it bars and doors :

11. And I said : Hitherto thou shalt come, and shalt go no further, and here thou shalt break thy swelling waves.

12. Didst thou since thy birth command the morning, and shew the dawning of the day its place?

13. And didst thou hold the extremities of the earth shaking them, and hast thou shaken the ungodly out of it?

14. The seal shall be restored as clay, and shall stand as a garment :

15. From the wicked their light shall be taken away, and the high arm shall be broken.

16. Hast thou entered into the depths of the sea, and walked in the lowest parts of the deep?

17. Have the gates of death been opened to thee, and hast thou seen the darksome doors?

18. Hast thou considered the breadth of the earth? tell me, if thou knowest all things?

19. Where is the way where light dwelleth, and where is the place of darkness :

20. That thou mayst bring every thing to its own bounds, and understand the paths of the house thereof.

21. Didst thou know then that thou shouldst be born ? and didst thou know the number of thy days?

22. Hast thou entered into the storehouses of the snow, or has thou beheld the treasures of the hail :

23. Which I have prepared for the time of the enemy, against the day of battle and war?

24. By what way is the light spread, and heat divided upon the earth?

25. Who gave a course to violent showers, or a way for noisy thunder :

26. That it should rain on the earth without man in the wilderness, where no mortal dwelleth :

27. That it should fill the desert and desolate land, and should bring forth green grass?

28. Who is the father of rain ? or who begot the drops of dew?

29. Out of whose womb came the ice; and the frost from heaven who hath gendered it?

30. The waters are hardened like a stone, and the surface of the deep is congealed.

31. Shalt thou be able to join together the shining stars the Pleiades, or canst thou stop the turning about of Arcturus?

32. Canst thou bring forth the day star in its time, and make the evening star to rise upon the children of the earth?

33. Dost thou know the order of heaven, and canst thou set down the reason thereof on the earth?

34. Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that an abundance of waters may cover thee?

35. Canst thou send lightnings, and will they go, and will they return and say to thee : Here we are?

36. Who hath put wisdom in the heart of man? or who gave the cock understanding?

37. Who can declare the order of the heavens, or who can make the harmony of heaven to sleep?

38. When was the dust poured on the earth, and the clods fastened together?

39. Wilt thou take the prey for the lioness, and satisfy the appetite of her whelps,

40. When they couch in the dens and lie in wait in holes?

41. Who provideth food for the raven, when her young ones cry to God, wandering about, because they have no meat?

20. My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.

21. Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:

22. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.

23. With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.

24. Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.

25. Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.

26. Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.

27. Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.