⁵ Now do not be troubled or angry with yourselves for sending me away, because God sent me before you to be the saviour of your lives.

²⁰ As for you, it was in your mind to do me evil, but God has given a happy outcome, the salvation of numbers of people, as you see today.

²¹ With nothing I came out of my mother's body, and with nothing I will go back there; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; let the Lord's name be praised.

⁷ God sent me before you to keep you and yours living on earth so that you might become a great nation.

⁸ So now it was not you who sent me here, but God: and he has made me as a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ And he took away all food from the land, so that the people were without bread.

¹⁷ He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was given as a servant for a price:

¹¹ So that Satan may not get the better of us: for we are not without knowledge of his designs.

⁷ So that now, on the other hand, it is right for him to have forgiveness and comfort from you, for fear that his sorrow may be over-great.

⁹ And the brothers, moved with envy against Joseph, gave him to the Egyptians for money: but God was with him,

¹⁰ And made him free from all his troubles, and gave him wisdom and the approval of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and all his house.

¹¹ Now there was no food to be had in all Egypt and Canaan, and there was great trouble: and our fathers were not able to get food.

¹² But Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, sent out our fathers the first time.

¹³ And the second time his brothers had a meeting with Joseph, and Pharaoh had knowledge of Joseph's family.

¹⁴ Then Joseph sent for Jacob his father and all his family, seventy-five persons.

¹⁵ And Jacob went down to Egypt, and came to his end there, and so did our fathers;

²⁴ And hearing it, they all, with one mind, made prayer to God and said, O Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all things in them:

²⁵ Who has said, by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David your servant, Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish?

²⁶ The kings of the earth were lifted up, the rulers came together, against the Lord, and against his Christ:

²⁷ For, truly, in this town, against your holy servant, Jesus, who was marked out by you as Christ, Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, came together,

²⁸ To do that which had been fixed before by your hand and your purpose.

²³ Him, when he was given up, by the decision and knowledge of God, you put to death on the cross, by the hands of evil men:

²⁴ But God gave him back to life, having made him free from the pains of death because it was not possible for him to be overcome by it.

³⁴ And Jesus said, Father, let them have forgiveness, for they have no knowledge of what they are doing. And they made division of his clothing among them by the decision of chance.

¹ Give comfort, give comfort, to my people, says your God.

² Say kind words to the heart of Jerusalem, crying out to her that her time of trouble is ended, that her punishment is complete; that she has been rewarded by the Lord's hand twice over for all her sins.

¹⁴ Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, Hushai's suggestion is better than that of Ahithophel. For it was the purpose of the Lord to make the wise designs of Ahithophel without effect, so that the Lord might send evil on Absalom.

¹⁰ And the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Let him go on cursing, for the Lord has said, Put a curse on David, and who then may say, Why have you done so?

¹¹ And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, You see how my son, the offspring of my body, has made designs against my life: how much more then may this Benjamite do so? Let him be, and let him go on cursing; for the Lord has given him orders.

¹² It may be that the Lord will take note of my wrongs, and give me back good in answer to his cursing of me today.

¹² You did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel and in the light of the sun.

¹⁹ And early in the morning they got up, and after worshipping before the Lord they went back to Ramah, to their house: and Elkanah had connection with his wife; and the Lord kept her in mind.

²⁵ And they said to him, Truly you have kept us from death; may we have grace in your eyes, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.