A reading from the book of Genesis.

When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt, and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread,

Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them.

When the famine had spread throughout the land, Joseph opened all the cities that had grain and rationed it to the Egyptians, since the famine had spread throughout the land, Joseph opened all the cities that had grain

and rationed it to the Egyptians since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.

In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain, for famine had gripped

the whole world.

The sons of Israel were among those who came to procure rations. It was Joseph as governor of the

country who dispensed the rations to all the people. When Joseph's brothers came and knelt down

before him, with their faces to the ground, he recognized them as soon as he saw them. But

Joseph concealed his own identity from them and spoke sternly to them. With that, he locked

them up in the guardhouse for three days. On the third day, Joseph said to his brothers,

do this and you shall live, for I am a God-fearing man. If you have been honest, only one of your

brothers need to confine to this prison while the rest of you

may go and take your provisions for your starving families. But you must come back with me with your

youngest brother. Your words will thus be verified and you will not die. To this they agreed. To one

another, however they said, alas, we are being punished because of our

brother. We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us, that we paid no heed. That is why this

anguish has come upon us now. Rubin broke in, did I not tell you to know no wrong to the boy,

but you would not listen, but now the

reckoning for his blood. The brothers did not know, of course, that Joseph understood what they had

said, since he spoke with them through an interpreter, but turning away from them, he wept.

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