of a great famine, when food will be so scarce in the land that many will starve to death. And as Pharaoh dreamed the same dream twice, it was a sign that God would shortly bring

it to pass.

Then Joseph told Pharaoh to choose a wise man, and one who had good judgment, and set him over the land of Egypt. And let him send out overseers all over the land, to lay out one-fifth part of it, and so raise corn during all the seven years of plenty. And let them gather all the food of those good years, and lay up corn where Pharaoh can have charge of it, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be stored away for use during the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, so that the people shall not starve to death.

Pharaoh thought the plan a good one, and he said to Joseph, Since God hath shown thee all this, there is none so wise and careful as thou art. And he made him chief ruler in the land.

And Pharaoh took off the ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and had him richly dressed, and put a gold chain around his neck. And Joseph drove out in a chariot, and the people bowed down to him as if he had been a great prince.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE FAMINE IN EGYPT.

JOSEPH married, and dwelt in Egypt, and during the seven years of plenty he laid up great stores of corn. Then came the seven years of famine, which he had foretold, and there was a great dearth in all the lands round about. And when the starving people cried to Pharaoh for bread he said to them, Go to Joseph, and do as he tells you.

The famine grew worse and worse and spread so that people from all countries came into Egypt to buy corn of Joseph.

When Jacob heard there was corn to be had in Egypt, he

told his sons to go down there and buy some, that they might have food enough to keep them alive. So Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy corn in Egypt. Benjamin did not go, for Jacob was afraid something would happen to him.

When the sons of Israel came where Joseph was, they bowed down before him, and did not know that he was their brother, the one they had thrown into the pit, and then sold as a slave.

Joseph spoke roughly to them and said, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

Joseph knew them, but they did not know him, and he remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them, and said to them, Ye are spies, and have come to see the poor state of the land. They told him they had not, and said, We are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest son is at home with our father, and one is dead.

Joseph said, To prove that you are telling me the truth, send one of you back to bring your brother, or ye shall be kept in prison as spies. And they were all thrust in prison for three days.

Then Joseph said to them, If ye be true men let one of you remain bound in prison while the rest go and carry corn to keep your families from starving. But bring your youngest brother to me, to prove your words true, and ye shall not die. And the choice fell on Simeon, and he was bound before their eyes.

Then Joseph told his servants to fill his brothers' sacks with corn, and to put back in each sack the money that had been paid, and also to furnish them with food to eat on the way.

Then Jacob's sons loaded their asses with the corn, and set out for Canaan. And they came to an inn, and as one of them opened his sack to give food to his ass he spied the money that was in the mouth of the sack. And he told his brethren, and they were in great fear, and said to each other, What is this that God hath done to us? And when they came to Jacob in the land of Canaan they told him of everything that had taken place, why Simeon was not with them

and how they were to prove that they were good and truc

men.

And when they emptied their sacks, behold every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw this they were afraid.

And Jacob said, Ye have robbed me of my children. Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and now ye will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.

Reuben spoke up and said, Kill my two sons if I bring him not back to thee. Give him into my care, and I will surely bring him back again. But Jacob said, My son shall not go down with you, for if anything should happen to him on the way it would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

When they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, Go to Egypt again and buy us a little food. Judah said, If thou wilt send Benjamin with us then we will go down and buy thee food. But if thou wilt not send him we will not go down; for the man said to us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

Jacob said, Why did you do me such an ill turn as to tell the man that you had a brother? They said, The man asked us all about ourselves, if our father was alive, and if we had another brother; and how did we know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

Then Judah said to his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go. If I bring him not back to thee, let me bear the blame.

So Jacob let them go, and told them to take some of the fruits of the land with them, and some balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds, as a present to the ruler. Take also your brother, he said, and may God give you mercy before the man that he may send back both Simeon and Benjamin.

And he told them to take a double amount of money with them; as the money they had found in the mouth of their sacks might have been put there by mistake.

So the men took the present, and a double amount of money,

and Benjamin, and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he had them taken to his own house to dine with him. And they were afraid, and thought they were to be put in prison for stealing the money. And on the way they spoke to the steward of Joseph's house, and he told them to have no fear, it was all right. And when Joseph came in they bowed low to him, and gave him the present they had brought. He spoke kindly to them, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

They said he was in good health, and bowed down their heads as to one of high rank. And when he saw Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake to me? And he said, God be good to thee, my son. And Joseph left the room in haste that he might give way to his tears.

Then he told the steward to fill the men's sacks with corn, as much as they could carry, and to put every man's money in the mouth of the sack. And put my silver cup, he said, in the sack of the youngest with his corn-money. And all this was done. And as soon as it was daylight the men set out on their asses to return to Canaan. And when they were a short distance from the city, Joseph sent a man after them, to ask them why they had done evil in return for good, and to charge them with having stolen his lord's drinking-cup.

When the man came up to them he put these words to them. And they said, Why saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do this thing. The money we found in our sacks we brought back from Canaan, so why should we steal silver or gold out of thy lord's house? Let him die in whose sack the cup is found, and the rest of us will be thy slaves. The man said, He with whom it is found shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall go free.

Then they threw down their sacks on the ground and opened them. And the man searched through them all, and began with that of the eldest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

Then they rent their clothes, and loaded their asses, and

went back to the city. And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, and fell down on the ground before him.

Joseph said to them, What is this that thou hast done? Judah said, What shall we say, my lord? what shall we speak? and how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out our sins. Behold we are thy slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.

Joseph said, God forbid that I should do this; but the one in whose sack the cup was found shall stay with me and be my servant, and the rest of you may go in peace.

Then Judah drew near, and said, O my lord, let me speak a word in thine ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant, for thou art as great a king as Pharaoh.

Thou didst ask us if we had a father or a brother, and we said, We have a father an old man, and a young lad the child