9
“These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him
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and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.
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“But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food.
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Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some.
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The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh.
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Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all.
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So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors.
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Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor’s sons in Shechem.
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“As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased.
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But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
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This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.