From Pit to Palace: God's Hidden Providence

1. Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan. 2. This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father. 3. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors. 4. His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him. 5. Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more. 6. He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7. for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8. His brothers said to him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words. 9. He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10. He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to you to the earth?” 11. His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind. 12. His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13. Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.” 14. He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15. A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 16. He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.” 17. The man said, “They have left here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan. 18. They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19. They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes. 20. Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.” 21. Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.” 22. Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father. 23. When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him; 24. and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it. 25. They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26. Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27. Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him. 28. Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They brought Joseph into Egypt. 29. Reuben returned to the pit; and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes. 30. He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?” 31. They took Joseph’s coat, and killed a male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. 32. They took the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, whether it is your son’s coat or not.” 33. He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s coat. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.” 34. Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning.” His father wept for him. 36. The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard. 1. At that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2. Judah saw there a certain Canaanite man named Shua’s daughter. He took her, and went in to her. 3. She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er. 4. She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan. 5. She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him. 6. Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in Yahweh’s sight. Yahweh killed him. 8. Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9. Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. 10. The thing which he did was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and he killed him also. 11. Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up”; for he said, “Lest he also die, like his brothers.” Tamar went and lived in her father’s house. 12. After many days, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite. 13. Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14. She took off her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife. 15. When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16. He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17. He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?” 18. He said, “What pledge will I give you?” She said, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him. 19. She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20. Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t find her. 21. Then he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has been no prostitute here.” 22. He returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’” 23. Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.” 24. About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25. When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man, whose these are, I am with child.” She also said, “Please discern whose are these—the signet, and the cords, and the staff.” 26. Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more. 27. In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb. 28. When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This came out first.” 29. As he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez. 30. Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. 1. Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there. 2. Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3. His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand. 4. Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 5. From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Yahweh’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field. 6. He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome. 7. After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.” 8. But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand. 9. No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” 10. As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 11. About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside. 12. She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside. 13. When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside, 14. she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice. 15. When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.” 16. She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home. 17. She spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me, 18. and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran 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,” his wrath was kindled. 20. Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody. 21. But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22. The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it. 23. The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper.

1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, 2. which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3. concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, 4. who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5. through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name’s sake; 6. among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ; 7. to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9. For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10. requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you. 11. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established; 12. that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13. Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14. I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15. So, as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome. 16. For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. 17. For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.” 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19. because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. 20. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse. 21. Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23. and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. 24. Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves; 25. who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. 27. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. 28. Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29. being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, 30. backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31. without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32. who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. 1. Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. 2. We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4. Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5. But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; 6. who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:” 7. to those who by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life; 8. but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation, 9. oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 10. But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who does good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 11. For there is no partiality with God. 12. For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13. For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified 14. (for when Gentiles who don’t have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15. in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them) 16. in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ. 17. Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory in God, 18. and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19. and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20. a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth. 21. You therefore who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn’t steal, do you steal? 22. You who say a man shouldn’t commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23. You who glory in the law, do you dishonor God by disobeying the law? 24. For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. 25. For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26. If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision? 27. Won’t the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law? 28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; 29. but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God. 1. Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision? 2. Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God. 3. For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God? 4. May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, “That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.” 5. But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do. 6. May it never be! For then how will God judge the world? 7. For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8. Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned. 9. What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin. 10. As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one. 11. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. 12. They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.” 13. “Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips”; 14. “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15. “Their feet are swift to shed blood. 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways. 17. The way of peace, they haven’t known.” 18. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19. Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. 20. Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21. But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; 22. even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 23. for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 25. whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; 26. to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus. 27. Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28. We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29. Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30. since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith. 31. Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

1. Hear my cry, God. Listen to my prayer. 2. From the end of the earth, I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3. For you have been a refuge for me, a strong tower from the enemy. 4. I will dwell in your tent forever. I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah. 5. For you, God, have heard my vows. You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 6. You will prolong the king’s life; his years shall be for generations. 7. He shall be enthroned in God’s presence forever. Appoint your loving kindness and truth, that they may preserve him. 8. So I will sing praise to your name forever, that I may fulfill my vows daily.