Friday, May 31, 2024

Job 18



WEEK 22                                                   
Job 18

FRIDAY  Reflections

If someone is treating you like you’re stupid, maybe, just maybe, you should look to see if they see something you don’t. Perhaps they might be correct. It might hurt your pride but they may be telling the truth.

 

Bildad couldn’t even consider that. He wished Job would just quit talking so they could speak. He wanted Job to just accept their conclusions and then they could have a “civil” discussion. He again gives the accepted reasons why Job had to have done wrong. His logic was that since God punishes sinners and it looked like Job was being punished then Job must be a sinner. Bildad wrongly concluded Job deserved what had happened to him.

LISTEN HERE



Job 18:2-21
(2)  How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.
(3)  Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?
(4)  He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?
(5)  Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.
(6)  The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.
(7)  The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.
(8)  For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.
(9)  The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.
(10)  The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.
(11)  Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.
(12)  His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.
(13)  It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.
(14)  His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.
(15)  It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
(16)  His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.
(17)  His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.
(18)  He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
(19)  He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.
(20)  They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.
(21)  Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Luke 22



WEEK 22                                                    
 Luke 22  

THURSDAY  Reflections

Just because God has strengthened and encouraged you doesn’t mean the trial will be easier. I say that because of Luke 22:43-44. Jesus is crying out and God sends an angel to strengthen him. After the angel left is Jesus standing there saying, “Bring it on?” NO! Jesus' distress gets worse.

 

It is so bad that his sweat looks like blood. This is evidence of a medical condition called hematidrosis, or hematohidrosis, which is caused by great stress or fear. 

 

How can Jesus be in stress or fear, he just had an angel visit him? I believe the answer is that though he was strengthened, the reality of what he was facing didn’t change. He had the strength to go through with it, but he still had to endure it and it was going to be horrible.  

 

There are things that we face which may be horrible and God will give us the strength to endure, but we will endure. Jesus wasn’t strong because the passion didn’t hurt him. Jesus was strong because the suffering was horrible. Yet, he endured and he will be with us as we endure.




[1] (For more information: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/hematidrosis-hematohidrosis#1)  


Luk 22:1-71
(1)  Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
(2)  And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
(3)  Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
(4)  And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
(5)  And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
(6)  And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
(7)  Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
(8)  And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
(9)  And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
(10)  And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
(11)  And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
(12)  And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.
(13)  And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
(14)  And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
(15)  And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
(16)  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
(17)  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
(18)  For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
(19)  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
(20)  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
(21)  But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
(22)  And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!
(23)  And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.
(24)  And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
(25)  And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
(26)  But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
(27)  For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
(28)  Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
(29)  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
(30)  That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
(31)  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
(32)  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
(33)  And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
(34)  And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
(35)  And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
(36)  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
(37)  For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
(38)  And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.
(39)  And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.
(40)  And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
(41)  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
(42)  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
(43)  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
(44)  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
(45)  And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
(46)  And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
(47)  And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
(48)  But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
(49)  When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
(50)  And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
(51)  And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.
(52)  Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?
(53)  When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
(54)  Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.
(55)  And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.
(56)  But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
(57)  And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
(58)  And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
(59)  And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.
(60)  And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
(61)  And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
(62)  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
(63)  And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.
(64)  And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?
(65)  And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.
(66)  And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying,
(67)  Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
(68)  And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.
(69)  Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.
(70)  Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.
(71)  And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Psalm 18



WEEK 22                                           
 Psalm 18  

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

For this Psalm, I can’t help but quote a chorus that I like.

“I will call upon the Lord 
Who is worthy to be praised 
So shall I be saved from my enemies 
The Lord liveth and blessed be the Rock 
And let the God of my salvation be exalted!”


(I Will Call Upon the Lord lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group Songwriters: Michael O'shields)

LISTEN HERE

Psa 18:1-50
(1)  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
(2)  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
(3)  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
(4)  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
(5)  The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
(6)  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
(7)  Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
(8)  There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
(9)  He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
(10)  And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
(11)  He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
(12)  At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
(13)  The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
(14)  Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
(15)  Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
(16)  He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
(17)  He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
(18)  They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
(19)  He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
(20)  The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
(21)  For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
(22)  For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
(23)  I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
(24)  Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
(25)  With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
(26)  With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
(27)  For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
(28)  For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
(29)  For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
(30)  As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
(31)  For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
(32)  It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
(33)  He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
(34)  He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
(35)  Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
(36)  Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
(37)  I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
(38)  I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
(39)  For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
(40)  Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
(41)  They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
(42)  Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
(43)  Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
(44)  As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
(45)  The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
(46)  The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
(47)  It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
(48)  He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
(49)  Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
(50)  Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Genesis 47



WEEK 22                                                  Genesis 47  

TUESDAY  Reflections


Joseph brings his family before Pharaoh in spite of the fact that they are shepherds. Shepherds, as we learned from the last verse of the previous chapter, were detestable to the Egyptians. Yet we see here that Joseph didn’t hide his heritage or his lowly family ties from Pharaoh. This might be seen as an example of Joseph honoring his father(and mother) even though that command had not been given. 



Gen 47:1-31
(1)  Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
(2)  And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
(3)  And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
(4)  They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
(5)  And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
(6)  The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
(7)  And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
(8)  And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
(9)  And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
(10)  And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
(11)  And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
(12)  And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
(13)  And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
(14)  And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
(15)  And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
(16)  And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
(17)  And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
(18)  When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
(19)  Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
(20)  And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
(21)  And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
(22)  Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.
(23)  Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
(24)  And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
(25)  And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
(26)  And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.
(27)  And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
(28)  And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
(29)  And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
(30)  But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
(31)  And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

Monday, May 27, 2024

Genesis 46



WEEK 22                                                 Genesis 46  

MONDAY  Reflections

You are in the promised land, now leave. 

 

Jacob was living in the land God had promised Abraham and yet God told him to leave. I believe that we face these times in our lives, we feel like this is where we were meant to be but God knows though it is the right place it isn’t the right time. 

 

Timing they say is everything. If the timing isn’t right everything else is wrong. I often wonder why I graduated at age 16 so I could go into ministry but didn’t begin pastoring my first church until I was 33, 17 years later. Looking back I can see many reasons why. Some of those reasons were personal (bad choices and important training), others had to do with me being in the right place to help other people. There are reasons beyond our own abilities to understand. 

 

God waited until Moses was 80. Couldn’t have he called Moses when he was 60? Or perhaps a year after he went into the wilderness at 41? But no God waited until the right time and never explained why. He rarely does. Maybe that is a good thing. If we knew how often our own actions made us unusable it might be too depressing to contemplate. 

 

God tells Jacob here this is the right time to leave.  God says he will make them into a great nation in Egypt. This is something which may never have happened if they had stayed in the promised land. The promised land can’t make you into all you can be if the timing isn’t right. So don’t be discouraged if God takes you out of the “promised land” of your life.

LISTEN HERE


Gen 46:1-34
(1)  And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
(2)  And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
(3)  And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
(4)  I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
(5)  And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
(6)  And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
(7)  His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
(8)  And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.
(9)  And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.
(10)  And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.
(11)  And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
(12)  And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
(13)  And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.
(14)  And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.
(15)  These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.
(16)  And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.
(17)  And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.
(18)  These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.
(19)  The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.
(20)  And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
(21)  And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.
(22)  These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
(23)  And the sons of Dan; Hushim.
(24)  And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.
(25)  These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.
(26)  All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six;
(27)  And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.
(28)  And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
(29)  And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
(30)  And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
(31)  And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
(32)  And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
(33)  And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
(34)  That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.