16-17 Joseph said, “Bring your livestock. I’ll trade you food for livestock since your money’s run out.” So they brought Joseph their livestock. He traded them food for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year in exchange for all their livestock.

18-19 When that year was over, the next year rolled around and they were back, saying, “Master, it’s no secret to you that we’re broke: our money’s gone and we’ve traded you all our livestock. We’ve nothing left to barter with but our bodies and our farms. What use are our bodies and our land if we stand here and starve to death right in front of you? Trade us food for our bodies and our land. We’ll be slaves to Pharaoh and give up our land—all we ask is seed for survival, just enough to live on and keep the farms alive.”

Read full chapter

17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses,(A) their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.(B) And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.

18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone(C) and our livestock belongs to you,(D) there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes(E)—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food,(F) and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh.(G) Give us seed so that we may live and not die,(H) and that the land may not become desolate.”

Read full chapter