Joseph: The Judge

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Don't remember the former things and don't consider the things of old Isaiah forty three eighteen. Dear Lord, thank you for the freedom that comes through your love and forgiveness. You remind us not to dwell on the past, but to look forward to the new things you are doing. Help us release the burdens of yesterday, the regrets, the pain, and the mistakes that hold us back. Teach us to trust that you are working all things for our good. Give us courage to let go of what no longer serves your purpose, and strength to embrace the future with faith. Fill our hearts with hope and peace rooted in your promises. Guide our steps, Lord, and renew our minds. Help us rejoice in what you are making new and live with confidence in your perfect plan. May our lives reflect your love and grace in every season. Amen, Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Chosen People. Remain here for a dramatic story inspired by the Bible. Be sure to follow this podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Chosen People. Remain here for a dramatic story inspired by the Bible. Be sure to follow this podcast so you can stay encouraged each week. 00:01:28 Speaker 2: Previously on The Chosen People, Oh, I had this spectacular dream. 00:01:36 Speaker 3: I was surrounded by the stars, and they all bowed down to me. 00:01:40 Speaker 4: Even the Sun and the moon joined in. 00:01:44 Speaker 5: So are you to rule over us? Joseph? 00:01:50 Speaker 2: They hated Joseph for his favor and were trapped in a prison of jealousy. Sensing the danger, Joseph stepped back, but the brothers had surrounded him. 00:02:00 Speaker 5: Where are you running off to, baby brother? 00:02:04 Speaker 3: Are you afree? 00:02:08 Speaker 2: Tears streamed down Joseph's face. He couldn't speak, he could barely breathe. Judah threw him against the rocks. 00:02:15 Speaker 5: Tell me, Joseph, in all your dreaming, did you ever imagine this? 00:02:22 Speaker 2: Joseph's cries for help were choked by the tight rope. Tears filled his eyes, his heart heavy with betrayal. The sun set, the stars taking its place, as Joseph was taken towards Egypt, her slave's fate awaiting him. 00:02:40 Speaker 4: Egypt will experience a time of flourishing like never before. The land will give birth to new life, and your people will be fed. However, this prosperity will come to an end. The seven sickly cows and the seven scorched heads of grain. They represent seven years of devas after seven years of plenty, seven years of famine will strike the land like a wildfire. This is the warning God has given to you. With this knowledge comes a great deal of responsibility. It will come to pass, and if Egypt is not ready, the entire world will perish. 00:03:23 Speaker 6: Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one else I would desire for the position. You shall be in charge of my palace, my resources, and all my people. They shall be tools in your hands, guided by your God, so that our great nation will survive. Only with respect to the throne, will I be greater than you. I hereby declare that you are to rule my kingdom with complete authority. All shall praise you. Even the sun and moon shall know your name and bow. 00:04:03 Speaker 2: The harsh wind blew in from the east, a desolate breath from the heart of the wastelands, carrying with it the seeds of ruin crops withered under its relentless assault, leaving the land of Canaan barn and its people hungry. The sons of Jacob toiled in the fields, their efforts as futile as trying to hold back the sea with a sieve. The wind cut at their faces and stripped their throats dry, a cruel reminder of the famine that had taken hold. Jacob sat on a withered stump, his knuckles white as he gripped his staff. Age had turned his skin to leather and his bones to brittle twigs. He surveyed the lifeless fields with eyes that had seemed too much suffering and not enough joy. His heart was a stone in his chest, heavy with the knowledge that his time was running out, and his sons lives might follow if something didn't change soon. The sky above was a cruel, unbroken expanse of blue, mocking his pleas for rain. 00:05:14 Speaker 7: Is this how it all ends? 00:05:18 Speaker 2: The horizon offered no answers, only the heat rising in shimmering waves. Jacob's prayer for deliverance was swallowed by the empty sky, his faith tested by the gnawing hunger that clouded his mind. He strained to hear God over the incessant rumbling of his stomach. Before he could gain focus, a voice cried out. 00:05:41 Speaker 3: From the road, Oh, there, Jacob. 00:05:45 Speaker 2: Jacob turned to see Danel, a Canaanite goat herder striding towards him. Danell was a broad shouldered man, his skin darkened by the sun, with two sons trailing behind him, towing a large cart. Like Oxen, the herder carried a large pack, its weight, bending his back slightly. Jacob offered him a drink from his wine skin, and he obliged with a grunt and nod. Danell sat down heavily beside him, eyes fixed on the dead fields. 00:06:16 Speaker 8: Then are crops for Miles, Jacob. All the surrounding villages are losing children and the elderly. Ah, it's a mess. 00:06:26 Speaker 9: Ah, My God always provide. 00:06:32 Speaker 3: Yes, Yes, you and your God. 00:06:35 Speaker 8: Are fortunate to have each other. 00:06:36 Speaker 3: As the land turns to dust. I have a new god. 00:06:41 Speaker 8: He's in Egypt, and he gave me mountains of grain to bring home Egypt. 00:06:48 Speaker 7: Has the famine not reached them? How could that be? 00:06:53 Speaker 8: Oh, the famine reached them all right. Their fields are as dead as ours. Not a barley sprout for Miles. It hit the livestock too, but still they eat. 00:07:05 Speaker 5: They have a. 00:07:06 Speaker 8: Prophet there who foresaw the coming famine and stored enough grain to feed the entire world. 00:07:12 Speaker 9: If he so pleased this prophet has allowed you, a foreigner, to have some of egypt grain. 00:07:21 Speaker 7: I was as surprised as you are. 00:07:24 Speaker 8: But this prophet is letting everyone come. He's filling bellies across the world. That's why I've made him my new god. It's him i'll. 00:07:35 Speaker 7: Be praying to at night. 00:07:36 Speaker 5: You can be sure of that. 00:07:39 Speaker 8: As long as my belly is fall I'll be blessing him. 00:07:44 Speaker 7: Watch this prophet's name, eh, some. 00:07:47 Speaker 8: Royal Egyptian name given by Pharaoh himself. 00:07:50 Speaker 7: Apparently they call him Ah. How you pronounce it? 00:07:54 Speaker 3: A zafna panaya? 00:07:57 Speaker 7: That's it? What do you receive? A Hebrew? My family has a mixed relationship with Egypt. 00:08:04 Speaker 8: I think he'd received just about any one. I know you think your God will save you from the famine, Jacob, But I would consider looking to Egypt for help. Maybe your God has wandered into those parts and made a home there. 00:08:20 Speaker 3: You said so yourself. He works in mysterious ways. All right, that's enough rambling from this old man. 00:08:28 Speaker 7: I'll be on my way now. 00:08:30 Speaker 8: Take care of yourself, Jacob, Ah, you as well. 00:08:35 Speaker 7: Friend. 00:08:37 Speaker 2: Daniel carted off with his sons. Jacob remained still for a moment, a tinge of hope coursed through his old veins. A smile twitched at the corners of his lips. His eyes peered upward, and he allowed a full grin to widen on his leathery face. 00:08:56 Speaker 7: What are you up to? 00:09:00 Speaker 2: He stood to his feet and made his way back to the tents. His sons were there, mending their tools and lounging in the shade. Jacob hobbled towards them with his staff with a fervor that surprised even himself. He lifted his staff and whacked issaca upside their head. 00:09:18 Speaker 9: Ah, get up, you lazy sons. You're all staring at each other as if grain's gone to start pouring out one of your ears. 00:09:32 Speaker 2: The men, none of the many longer resembling boys, stood to their feet. They had not seen their father with this much vigor in a long time. 00:09:40 Speaker 3: Father, we've worked the land. It's given us nothing. What else are we supposed to do? 00:09:46 Speaker 7: Well? 00:09:47 Speaker 10: Dear Syrian, you can continue to fester in your seats. 00:09:52 Speaker 9: Oh, you can make yourself useful and go to Egypt. 00:09:58 Speaker 4: Ha. 00:10:00 Speaker 2: The men perked up, anxious about what Jacob knew about Egypt. Any time the nation was mentioned. A tinge of remorse jabbed at them. 00:10:09 Speaker 7: What's in Egypt grain? 00:10:13 Speaker 10: Enough grain to feed the world, and they're selling it at a fair price. 00:10:20 Speaker 4: The road to Egypt is risky, especially with the famine bandits have multiplied out of desperation. 00:10:29 Speaker 7: Coward, listen to me. 00:10:33 Speaker 10: You can either go to Egypt and live, or remain here and die. 00:10:43 Speaker 2: The men paused, confused, more so than Jacob was so lively. He hadn't been like this since Joseph's passing. 00:10:52 Speaker 9: Worthless, sons, get out and go. Go before your old father turns the duster. 00:11:02 Speaker 5: All rally, all the brothers, well, Bell, leave it, don Simeon go, retrieve Reuben and Zebulon LEVI send word to Gadon asher Dan, Benjamin and I will saddle the donkeys before the sunset. 00:11:17 Speaker 7: Now, absolutely not. Benjamin will not be joining. 00:11:22 Speaker 5: You, father. He's a strong boy, nearly a man. He'll be fine with us. 00:11:28 Speaker 11: Don't you, Dad, Try and convince me to send my youngest boy with you. 00:11:38 Speaker 7: Benjamin stays, you go. A count is losing another piece of my heart. 00:11:47 Speaker 2: The words weighed heavily on Judah. Jacob had never forgiven them for letting Joseph perish in the wilderness if only he knew the real truth. 00:11:57 Speaker 5: As you wish you well, hurt, father, Let's move. 00:12:03 Speaker 2: Before the dawn could emerge from its hiding. The ten older sons of Jacob departed, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issaca, Zebulun, gad Asher, Dan, and Naftali. As the cool gravel crunched beneath their feet, they heard a shout. 00:12:21 Speaker 4: From behind, Judah, wait for me. 00:12:25 Speaker 2: His ruddy teenage brother Benjamin was running after the pack. Secure to his side. Judah turned a warm smile spreading across his face. 00:12:36 Speaker 5: Haha, I wish you could join us, Benji, But Father forbade it. 00:12:41 Speaker 7: Never lets me go anywhere with the others. 00:12:44 Speaker 5: You're precious to him that to all of us, Egypt is a hostile place, especially to us Hebrews. 00:12:51 Speaker 12: I'm not the child father thinks I am. 00:12:53 Speaker 2: Judah paused and looked down at Benjamin. The boy was lanky, with broad shoulders and curls bouncing off his forehead. He was a mirror image of Joseph at that age. Seeing his earnest gaze pierced Judah's heart. He brought his baby brother in close and kissed his head. 00:13:13 Speaker 5: Nah, him here, take care of the flocks and watch all of my sons. You're not the child father thinks you are. You're a man, man enough to take care of things while we're gone. 00:13:24 Speaker 11: You'll tell me stories of Egypt, won't you tell me about the Nile and the great towers. 00:13:29 Speaker 5: Ah, I can't wait. Now, run back to father before the sun rises. Be careful near the river too. It's easy to stumble when it's dark. 00:13:38 Speaker 2: Judah watched Benjamin drag his feet for the first few steps, dust, turning up with his disappointment. His trudge soon turned to a skip and run because he made his way back home. Judah's eyes glistened with brotherly affection. Benjamin had taken Joseph's place as Jacob's favored son, but he didn't catch this ayre. Judah's jealousy had quereled with time. Life had humbled him, beaten him into submission. 00:14:08 Speaker 12: You've grown softer in your old age, Judah. 00:14:11 Speaker 5: And you've grown uglier and fatter. Let's go before the sun punishes us with its eat. 00:14:20 Speaker 3: To Egypt. Salvation awaits yes, Salvation, Please step forward. 00:14:32 Speaker 2: Joseph stood at the entrance of the storehouses. The massive clay and stone structures towering behind him like silent sentinels. The carvings on their surfaces told the tale of zapphanarth Pania's rise to power, a story of foresight and wisdom that had saved Egypt from the grip of famine. The line of people stretched far, a river of humanity seeking sustenance. Joseph's heart ached with a blend of duty and compassion. A woman and her daughter stepped before the slave turned governor, their faces weary from travel. 00:15:09 Speaker 3: Where have you come. 00:15:10 Speaker 10: From, Timner, just outside the plains of Canaan. 00:15:16 Speaker 3: I'm very familiar with Timner. You've traveled far. You must be very tired. 00:15:22 Speaker 7: Yes, my lord, but the journey will be worth it for some food. 00:15:26 Speaker 3: Everywhere around us. 00:15:27 Speaker 12: Has been destroyed by the family. 00:15:30 Speaker 3: Has Canaan been struck as well, Yes, my lord, no village or farm was spared I see. 00:15:37 Speaker 2: Joseph hid his reaction, but the news struck him like a blow. He looked down at the little girl beside the woman and offered her a piece of sweetbread. She took it hesitantly, then devoured it with a hunger that brought tears to Joseph's eyes. He gestured to his attendants. 00:15:55 Speaker 3: Filled their bags with grain as much as they can carry. 00:15:59 Speaker 2: Thank you, saf Apenia. 00:16:01 Speaker 5: Tales have been told of your kindness. 00:16:03 Speaker 7: I'm pleased that the stories have proven true. 00:16:07 Speaker 2: The little girl waved, and the two of them were on their way. Joseph watched them depart, a storm of emotions brewing within him. As the sun climbed higher, more people came, each with their own stories of hardship and need. Joseph greeted them all, his heart heavy with the weight of his role. All people from far off had traveled to Egypt in order to buy grain. There was plenty to spare, for God had made Egypt incredibly fruitful during the time before the famine. Joseph had planned well, and now they were enjoying the fruits of their labor. Egypt truly was a palace of plenty, and Joseph was its king. He ruled with a gentleness, tact, and wisdom that made him the most beloved man in the world. He believed God had placed him there in a earth Egypt for this very reason. Then he saw them. Ten tall figures stood in line. They wore garments of sheep's wool over their waists and sashes of thin fabric across their shoulders. Each of them had a specific trait about them that signified they were brothers. Recognition sparked a fire in Joseph's veins. These were his brothers, the sons of Israel, who had betrayed him so long ago. Joseph's blood ran cold, and his grip on his scepter tightened. His brow turned downward, and the blood rushed to his legs. Joseph felt like fleeing, escaping for his life. It was an absurd feeling. He was the second most powerful man in Egypt, surrounded by guards and doting citizens, yet he felt in danger. Surely they wouldn't recognize Joseph. He had grown larger and stronger, was shaved and dressed as an Egyptian, adorned with a royal head dress an amulet. But still Joseph's body tensed with panic. The ten brothers stepped forward in line, with empty sacks in their hands. Joseph looked at their faces. Reuben in particular, had aged considerably. His once broad and muscular frame had diminished with time. He looked like his father. Even the younger brothers, Issuca and Zebulun were weathered by age and labor. Joseph peered at them silently as they approached. With each step they took forward, Joseph could feel his heart beating faster, his mind raised with a flurry of different emotions. Hatred, contempt, agony, and fear all rushed through him like battering waves against the shore. Then Joseph saw Judah, taller than the rest, chest turned upward, wearing a wooing smile. Joseph stealed his resolve, refusing to be fooled by anything that came from that snake's mouth. Judah stood at the front, with his head held low and arms outstretched. 00:19:12 Speaker 5: Lord Zappinati panea, we come seeking kindness. 00:19:18 Speaker 2: Joseph's heart hammered in his chest. Here they were bowing to him as he had once dreamed, though the vision now seemed a cruel irony. He stared at their dusty faces, their expressions pleading. 00:19:32 Speaker 3: They want my kindness, they want mercy. I have received no such thing from them all those years ago. They are to starve for what they did. 00:19:42 Speaker 2: A torrent of negative thoughts rushed into his mind. His vision turned blurry with rage. His tormentors bowed before him in expected mercy. Their eyes lifted to see Joseph's face. However, they didn't recognize him. His face had not changed much since he was seventeen. However, the last thing they expected was Joseph to be made a king. When they sold him into slavery, Joseph was adorned with the markings of power and royalty. The last time they had seen him, he was bound and tied to the back of an Ishmaelite camel. Joseph scoffed or to bleach. 00:20:19 Speaker 3: Where do you come. 00:20:20 Speaker 5: From, from the land of Canaan, my king. We have come to buy food. Our crops have been ravaged by the famine and we're out of options. We beg you for our seat. Please allow us to buy food for our families spies. 00:20:36 Speaker 2: He slammed his staff on the ground, watching them flinch and twisted. Satisfaction rose within him. He remembered how they once beat him to near death and left him in a pit. He still bore scars from that day on his side. 00:20:53 Speaker 3: You have come to see if this land is open for attack. We've had threats coming from the land of Canaan. You must be spies zav left Penah. 00:21:03 Speaker 12: We assure you that our intentions are pure. We are all sons of a man named Jacob. His land is in Canaan. We are humble herders and farmers. We have no ill will towards you. Are Egypt, Your honest men who tell the truth, always come with upright hearts before you. 00:21:24 Speaker 2: Simeon's answer made Joseph's blood boil. 00:21:27 Speaker 3: Honest men, though, men who soothed their own brother into slavery after God, to stand. 00:21:35 Speaker 12: From me and claim they have pure hearts. 00:21:38 Speaker 2: Joseph seethed with anchor, and it showed the brothers could sense his wrath rising and feared what he may do to them. Joseph could sense their fear. 00:21:49 Speaker 5: He reveled in it. 00:21:50 Speaker 2: Not a day had gone by when he didn't think about his brothers. He remember'd their scowls in their spite. He remembered their backs turning as he was cut off like an animal. 00:22:01 Speaker 3: We will see if they are honest men. I will make them prove they have. 00:22:06 Speaker 2: Changed, Joseph composed himself. 00:22:10 Speaker 3: I am convinced you've come to spy on our land. The famine has hit Egypt with the same blow as Canaan. However, we were prepared. Have you come to spy on our storehouses so you might take them for yourself? Why else would you bring so many of you are? 00:22:29 Speaker 5: We are a large family, my lord. Your servants are all sons of one man and several women. In fact, there are more brothers just us. Our youngest brother is in Canaan with our father, and our other brother Paris long ago by wolves wolves? 00:22:50 Speaker 2: Is that the lie? 00:22:51 Speaker 3: They told? Father? 00:22:53 Speaker 2: Joseph scanned his brothers up and down. He observed their faces. Had they truly changed their ways? How far would they be willing to go to prove their honesty. Joseph placed his hands behind his back and paced back and forth. He looked to the horizon, the same horizon he had gazed at many sunsets. He longed to see his father again. He longed to meet his younger brother. Joseph turned to the brothers. 00:23:23 Speaker 3: My judgment delivered this land from famine, and my judgment tells me you are spies. Prove to me I'm wrong. You will be bound and imprisoned in this place while one of you leaves to retrieve the youngest brother. If he is real, then I shall know you do not lie. 00:23:42 Speaker 2: Joseph stopped and leaned down at Judah. He looked at him in the eyes intently. Judah had once looked Joseph in the eyes and tossed him into a pit. Now Joseph was going to return the favor. 00:23:56 Speaker 3: Send them to the pits for three days, we shall see if they feel any more motivated to tell me the truth. 00:24:04 Speaker 2: The guards seized the brothers and threw them into the Palace prison. It was the same prison Joseph was once held in alone. They sat in there, cold and afraid, just as he once did. Joseph stood outside the prison, pacing with fury. His heart was being tossed to and fro like a ship in a storm. His hands shook and his stomach churned. Joseph was starting to lose his resolve. For three days, Joseph sat outside the prison gates. His mind was blurred by flashes from his past. On the second night, he sat outside the cell and stared up at the moon. He remembered the comforting rays of light that peeked in through the dungeon window. He closed his eyes, trying to remember the pain of prison, slavery, and betrayal. A cold breeze blew in and knocked his head dress off into the dirt beside a well. Joseph picked it up and stared into the water. He looked into his reflection, seeing a man he did not recognize. He didn't seize Zaphanath Panier, the man commissioned by Pharaoh. He saw Joseph, the man saved by God. He sighed and looked to the heavens. The cool breeze caressed his face. Joseph smiled, remembering the blessings God had adorned him with since being sold into slavery. For a brief moment, Joseph forgot his bitterness. The next morning, Joseph entered into the prison cell with his guards. The brothers all stood to their feet, sore from days of sleeping on stone. Joseph walked in with a stoic expression, do you deserve to live? The ten of them nodded their heads immediately. 00:25:56 Speaker 5: Very well. 00:25:57 Speaker 3: As surprising as it may seem to you, I fear the God of your people. I will grant you all a kindness you do not deserve. One of you will remain in custody, while the other nine leave to carry back grain to your families. Once your households are secure, you shall return here with your youngest brother. Then I will know you are honest men. 00:26:20 Speaker 2: The brothers nodded, whispering in their language. They consoled each other and commiserated over their past sins. 00:26:27 Speaker 7: Know why this is happening to us? 00:26:30 Speaker 10: Right, a mean hand Joseph to along the slave religion, and now we are doomed a fright. 00:26:39 Speaker 3: This is unshed for our guilt. You remember how Joseph begged us for mercy. 00:26:45 Speaker 12: I can still hear his screams for help in my mind. 00:26:49 Speaker 2: We only watched as he was taken. 00:26:52 Speaker 7: I told you all to leave the boy along. 00:26:56 Speaker 2: Reuben was a quiet and strong man. However this time his voice boomed, nearly shaking the entire prison. 00:27:03 Speaker 3: I told you to leave him alone. 00:27:06 Speaker 7: You didn't listen. 00:27:07 Speaker 3: You sold him when my back was turned. Now look at us. 00:27:12 Speaker 13: God has sent a reckoning voice, blood, and we deserved. 00:27:17 Speaker 2: They didn't know Joseph could understand him. Slowly he backed out the door and out of view. He ran down the halls and into an empty cell. He fell to his knees and removed his head dress, banging his fists against the cold, wet stone. Joseph wept, His heart ached with a sadness too deep for words. He had not known. Reuben tried to save him, he had not known. They regretted selling him into slavery. All of this was too much for his heart to bear. For a few moments, Joseph was undone with emotional turmoil. His sobs bounced off the chamber walls, reverberating back at him. It sounded as if God himself was weeping in their prison cell with him. Joseph composed himself and wiped away the tears from his eyes. He took a deep breath, put his head dress back on, and marched towards his brothers. As zaphanarth Panier, Joseph raised his right hand and pointed to Simeon, you. 00:28:20 Speaker 3: Will remain here until your brothers return. 00:28:23 Speaker 2: He watched the brothers embrace Simeon. Before being escorted out of the prison. Joseph turned shut the door. It echoed across the halls. Simeon was left in darkness, Ned was waiting for him outside. 00:28:38 Speaker 3: Nets See to it that every man's bag is filled to the brim with grain. Also be sure to return the sacks of money in each of their bags give them provisions for the journey home as well. 00:28:52 Speaker 2: Net nodded and saw to it that every bag was full and every coin was returned to the men. The brothers were sent to without a good bye from the governor. They departed with their donkeys carrying several loads of grain. All of the brothers, all but Simeon, walked away from Egypt with their heads held low. 00:29:13 Speaker 3: We have the grain, by what cost. 00:29:16 Speaker 5: We'll explain to Father what happened, and surely he'll let us take Benjamin back to Egypt. I wouldn't be so sure. 00:29:25 Speaker 2: Behind them, overlooking the land in the distance, stood Joseph. His eyes were fixed on the nine men as they walked away. He stood high on the hills, overlooking the entire kingdom. The sun's golden rays turned into a deep red as it slid across the horizon. The burnt hues turned darker as the sun descended. Joseph closed his eyes, sighed, and returned to his family. He embraced them, reminding himself that they were his family now. The brothers reached a small lodging area in between Egypt and Canaan. Their throats were parched from a long day's journey. 00:30:09 Speaker 5: We rest tonight, then leave first thing in the morning. 00:30:13 Speaker 2: As Judah took some supplies off the donkey, a sack of money fell. 00:30:17 Speaker 7: Out of the bag of grain. 00:30:19 Speaker 3: What's this? 00:30:22 Speaker 2: The same sack of coins he used to buy the grain had been tucked away securely with the rest of his belongings. 00:30:29 Speaker 5: LEVI check your bag, all, all of you, check your bags. 00:30:33 Speaker 2: The brothers checked their belongings and their bags of grain. To their utter surprise, each sack of money had been returned to them. Judah looked down at the sack of money, twenty shekels of silver, the same amount they had gained when they sold Joseph. 00:30:50 Speaker 3: He threw his sack on the. 00:30:52 Speaker 2: Ground and fell to his knees. Judah clasped his hair and wept on the floor. The past was beginning to creep upon him. Shadows and flashes of his sins began to flood back into his memory. Judah and the rest of his brothers were coming face to face with their own depravity. Jacob sat beside the well, overlooking the charred landscape of Canaan. His bones ached and his heart was weary from weeks of worry. He prayed to God, his sons would all return. He could not bear the loss of another. He looked behind him. Benjamin was digging up roots to be boiled. Jacob smiled. Benjamin was now around the same age Joseph was when he was killed. Not a day went by when he did not think about Joseph, his beloved son. Jacob looked away back at the horizon. Nine small figures came into view. The brothers had returned. Jacob stood and met them on the road. At first, he reveled in the fact that there were large sacks of grain carried by the donkeys. However, Jacob saw that one of his sons was missing. 00:32:07 Speaker 7: Where is Simeon? What has happened? 00:32:11 Speaker 5: We met the ruler of Egypt. He was a harsh man. He accused us of being Canaanite spies. We told him that we were humble and honest men. We told him we are twelve brothers total, one being dead and the other back home with our father. 00:32:27 Speaker 7: Blasted Judah. What did you say to him to make him hate you so much? 00:32:33 Speaker 13: Judah didn't do anything wrong. This man was intent on hating us before we even spoke, so he killed Simeon. No, he's in prison until we can prove we aren't lying. Oh what proof will sway this man? 00:32:49 Speaker 2: The brothers paused and looked at each other. Finally, Judah stepped forward. 00:32:56 Speaker 5: He requires Benjamin. If we can show him, Benjamin, he'll know we aren't lying. 00:33:02 Speaker 11: Huh, No, you will not take my son to me in prison by this madman. 00:33:08 Speaker 7: How do you know he won't just kill you? 00:33:10 Speaker 5: All? He gave us back our money. That's how everything we paid he gave back to us in our sacks, and along with an extra portion of brain. This man is harsh, but I feel he means what he says. His intentions were definitely not to harm us, or else he wouldn't have given us our money bag. I mean, however, it seem overly interested in our family. 00:33:36 Speaker 7: You have bereaved me of my children. 00:33:41 Speaker 10: First, Joseph dies under your watch, now silly and rots in an Egyptian prison. Now you desire to take my youngest son, You will not. 00:33:55 Speaker 2: Jacob took Benjamin by the arm and began to storm away. Rubenst there silently. His body began to quiver and his fists clenched. A single tear streamed down his face as he watched his father leave. He was the oldest and felt responsible for all of the misfortunes of his father. 00:34:15 Speaker 3: Who your trust in me, father. 00:34:18 Speaker 2: Jacob stopped and turned his head. Reuben was a quiet man who rarely raised his voice. However, a great deal of passion welled up within him. 00:34:29 Speaker 13: Allow me to take Benjamin. If I do not bring him back to you, kill my two sons. Please, I must redeem myself. Put Benjamin in my hands, and I will bring him and Simeon back to you. 00:34:43 Speaker 10: Your word means very little to me, Reuben, and I think I've forgotten the sins that lay between us. 00:34:52 Speaker 2: Jacob looked deeply into his eldest son's eyes. Reuben had betrayed his father once before, defiling the safe goodness of Jacob's marriage bed. A chasm lay between them, a gap of hurt, fury, and mistrust. 00:35:08 Speaker 7: My son shall not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is the only one I have left. If harm should happen to. 00:35:18 Speaker 10: Him on the journey you're about to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to shale. In other words, Reuben, I don't trust you, not after what happened to Joseph. 00:35:34 Speaker 2: Without another word or glance, Jacob retreated back to his tent. The family of Jacob would live to see another few months. However, the culture of jealousy, backbiting, and betrayal in their family was beginning to catch up to them. They were in need of redemption. This preyed Door conproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotten, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland, Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey dot Com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.